


And Justice For All

by thebasement_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-07-05
Updated: 2001-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-20 15:26:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 36,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11338227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebasement_archivist/pseuds/thebasement_archivist
Summary: Mulder, Krycek and company revolt against their proposed situations.





	And Justice For All

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Basement](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Basement), which moved to the AO3 to ensure the stories are always available and so that authors may have complete control of their own works. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Basement's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thebasement/profile).

 

And Justice For All By Aries

And Justice For All  
By Aries  
April 2001  
Fandom: XF  
Pairing: M/K Sk/D  
Spoilers: Existence  
Rated: NC-17 for sex and language  
This is in response to the challenge issued In April on RatB. Write a happy story in the wake of the unspeakable horror that Chris Carter has seen fit to inflict upon us. All righty, I'll see what I can do. I'm going to use a bunny tossed at me by Deb, since carnivals are certainly happy places. ::waves:: Okay, Deb, here you go!  
Summary: Mulder, Krycek and company revolt against their proposed situations.  
Permission to archive: RatB, Den of Sin and Slashville. Anywhere else? Sure, anywhere, just let me know please!  
Disclaimer: You don't know how it pains me to say this. All XF characters belong to that... that... do I *have* to say his name? ChrisCarter All RIGHT? I'm just temporarily rescuing them from his insanity  
Self-beta'ed, so any hideous goofs are mine and mine alone.  
Websites: http://www.squidge.org/terma/aries/aries.htm and http://denofsin.slashcity.tv/aries/ariestitle.html  
Feeback is always most welcome. You can find me at 

* * *

And Justice For All  
by Aries

Pssst.

*Psssst.*

Mulder spun around from the file cabinet and let out a relieved gasp.

"What're you doing here?"

"Looking for you."

"Well, you found me, Frohike," he said to the pair of bushy eyebrows and spectacled eyes that peeked around the edge of the door. "What d'you want?"

"Got some information for you."

"When *don't* you have some information for me?"

"You'll want to hear this."

"Okay, get in here already, would you? I'm tired of talking to your eyes."

The small man crept into the office, followed quickly by his two cohorts.

"I didn't know you guys were here, too. What's going on?" Mulder asked, closing the cabinet's top drawer and coming to sit on top of the desk that was once his.

"Another one of us is going to bite the dust."

"Huh?"

"He's getting ready to off another one of us!" Langly broke in, not waiting for Frohike to clarify his statement.

"You shittin' me? God, he just killed *me* a few months ago..."

"Yeah, but he brought you back. You know how he gets if he doesn't give somebody the axe at least once a year."

"Yeah. So, who is it?"

"Krycek."

"*What*?"

"I know," Byers sighed. "We thought that cockroach would be the only one left by the time it was over, but..."

"Does he know?"

"No. *We* only found out because we overheard a conversation between him and your boss. Uh...ex-boss."

"Skinner?"

"Yeah. He wants Skinner to do it."

"What'd he say?"

"You know Skinner. He's given an order, he carries it out."

"Shit," Mulder whispered to the floor then looked up at the trio. "This is ridiculous. We gotta put a stop to it."

"When?" Frohike asked. "Before or *after* the deed?"

"Before!"

"Yeah, but," Langly reasoned, "would it really be *such* a bad thing if Krycek was snuffed out?"

"Langly," Mulder chastised. "Krycek's one of us."

"Yeah. The *bad* one of us."

"Only because you-know-who told him to be."

"Yeah, but I think he enjoyed it just a little too much."

"Hey, you can't fault a guy for exploring his dark side. Admit it, we all want to. Krycek's the only one of us who's had the balls to actually do it."

"Good God, Mulder," Byers said, cringing a bit. "You sound like you admire the guy."

Mulder shrugged. "I kinda do." He pushed away from the desk, squaring his shoulders. "And I'm not going to let this happen to him. With or without you, I'm going to put a stop to it."

"Oh, God," Langly moaned. "You know we're with you, dude. Insane as we think you are for wanting to save that rat bastard's ass."

//That rat bastard's ass. Yeah,// Mulder thought. //Nice, firm, round...//

The three men watched their friend give himself a visible shake.

"Mulder, you okay?"

"Yeah." Mulder emitted a hard breath. "Fine. Come on, let's find Scully."

Blue eyes watched with shock as the four men barged into the room full of pregnant women and started toward her.

"What... what the hell are you guys doing here?" Scully asked from her position on the floor.

"Fox, for goodness sake, this is no time for whatever foolishness you want to drag Dana into," Margaret Scully cautioned from her place behind her daughter. "And who are these people?" she asked, looking at the three who stood a few feet behind Mulder.

"You met them at Mulder's funeral, Mom" Scully reminded the older woman.

"Oh. Oh, yes. The Single Riflemen."

"Uh, that's The Lone Gunmen, ma'am," Byers interjected, obviously tremendously uncomfortable with his surroundings.

"What're you doing here, Mulder," Scully asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah," Mulder answered, squatting before his ex-partner. "He's at it again."

"Who's at what again?"

"*Him*."

"Him? Oh, *him*."

"Yeah."

"What's he at?"

"He's looking to off another one of us."

"What? *Now* who?"

"Krycek."

"Oh."

"Oh? That's it? Oh?"

"Well...Mulder, we really could do without him."

Mulder leapt to his feet, glaring at the group.

"What's the matter with you people? Up till now we've all done exactly what *he* wanted us to do. Everything we do, every bloody word that comes out of our mouths...it's all *his* doing! I've only just come to realize that, and you know what? I for one don't want to do it any more."

"Mulder, what are you babbling about?"

"C'mon, Scully, you mean to tell me you've enjoyed being pregnant for over a year? And having no idea how you got that way?"

Blue eyes looked down in the vicinity of Scully's feet.

"Well, I...I never thought about it, I guess."

"Precisely! None of us has ever thought about the crap he puts us through. We just go along with it like good little boys and girls. How about you guys?" He turned to the others. "You like being geeks? And you, Mrs. Scully. Aren't *you* getting tired of his crap? He killed off your husband *and* your daughter. You've got one son you hardly see. Another you *never* see...he had Scully here abducted...gave her cancer...took it back...made her pregnant with God knows who's child...your hair should be snow white by now for all the shit he's done to your family."

"Fox, watch your language."

"Sorry." Hazel eyes momentarily lowered to the floor as he apologized. When they rose again, the fighting gleam had returned. "Come on, everybody. What d'you say? Let's let this jerk know once and for all that we've had it with his petty manipulations."

"All righty Mulder, what do you suggest we do?"

"Nothing he wants us to. Let's just all get together and go out somewhere. When he comes looking for us, he won't find anybody."

"Oh, really? And how do you propose we get everybody together?"

"I'll figure it out. I'm off to find Dogface right now. If I can convince him, he'll be a help when I go see Skinner. According to the guys, he's the one who's supposed to kill Krycek."

Scully burst into laughter. "And you think you're going to talk him out of it? Mulder, I don't care how many people you take with you. Skinner's been *dying* to get his revenge on Krycek."

"I know. I never said it would be easy, but I have to convince him. All this killing has *got* to stop."

Scully sighed heavily. "I guess you're right. I mean, God, next time it could be one of us." She shot the newly returned-from-the-dead Mulder a look. "You know, like *permanently*."

"Uh huh. Listen, I'm sorry interrupted your Lamaze class. Keep your cell phone on. I'll contact you when we're ready to move."

The four men left and headed straight for the Hoover building, practically running smack into Agent Doggett as they headed for the basement office.

"Agent Mulder, you've been creepin' around that office again, haven't you?" Doggett asked, his sometimes New York accent particularly heavy today. "I found sunflower seed shells all over the top of Agent Scully's desk."

"Maybe they're Scully's," Mulder purred, smirking at the other man. "Might be one of those pregnant lady vices, you know?"

"What were you doing in there, Agent Mulder? You know the trouble you'd be in if Deputy Director Kersh found out."

"And who's going to tell him?"

The question brought no response from the other man.

"Look, Dilbert, I didn't come looking for you to do this..."

"The name's Doggett, dammit. You were looking for me?"

"Yeah. Something's up, and we need your help."

Doggett broke into a round of hoarse laughter. Mulder smiled at the sound.

"I didn't know you had a funny bone."

"You're a funny guy, Agent Mulder. You don't need my help with anything as you'd usually be so quick to point out. What are you trying to pull?"

"I'm not pulling anything. I'm trying to save a man's life, and I need you to help me convince A.D. Skinner not to kill him."

"What?"

Mulder sighed heavily. "Look." I know you're new around here, and you haven't really got the full four-one-one on what it's like, so let me give you the abbreviated version. Surfer boy is a bit of a sadist. At least once a year he gives one of our little group the old heave ho. He doesn't send us away on an extended vacation, he doesn't even let us up and quit. He *kills* us off."

Doggett snorted. "Oh, come on, Agent Mulder."

"It's true. Scully's father, *my* father...Scully's sister, my mother, Cancerman..."

"Who?"

"Nevermind. Deep Throat, X, even poor, mousy Agent Pendrell wasn't immune. When he gets the itch, somebody gets the axe." Mulder looked to his three friends. "Guys, have I forgotten anyone?"

"Probably," Langly nodded. "There are too damn many to remember."

"Well, anyway, he's about to do it again. And we've had it. We want no more part of it."

Doggett raised his eyebrows. "That is quite a list. And he does this for no apparent reason?"

"None that any of us can see."

"So, do you know who's next?"

"Yeah. Alex Krycek."

"Krycek. You mean the guy who blackened my eye? The same guy who had the supposed cure for your...whatever...in his hand and let it break on a concrete floor? The very *same* guy who makes A.D. Skinner visibly tremble when his name is mentioned?"

"That would be him."

"And you want to stop him from dying?"

"Yes."

Dogget shrugged. "Sounds to me like the world would be a better place without the slime."

"Oh, Christ. Look, Digby, I really don't have time to go into the why's and wherefore's again, so suffice it to say that with or without you I'm going to stop this. It'd be easier *with* you, but it's your choice. Just keep in mind that with most of us gone, you'll be on the short list."

"Short list?"

"Mmm hmm. Of people left to kill off."

"Well," Doggett croaked, his composure shaken, "I suppose I could give you a hand. What do you need?"

"We gotta go see Skinner. He's the one who's been chosen to do it. We gotta convince him not to."

Doggett emitted a hard breath. "Great. That oughta be fun. You know, Agent Mulder, my life was a lot easier when you were missing, and that's saying a lot."

Smiling, Mulder brushed past the other agent and headed for the elevator.

As Doggett fell in beside Frohike, the smaller man smirked up at him.

"You'll grow to love him."

Doggett glanced up ahead at Mulder then back down at Frohike.

"You know, I really can't imagine that happening."

"A.D. Skinner, Fox Mulder, Agent Doggett and some other people are here to see you."

//Mulder and Doggett? Together?//

"Send them in, Kimberly."

Seconds later, the door opened and Mulder strode in followed by his growing entourage. Skinner sat back and watched the parade, waiting for the last person in line to close the door behind him. His eyes skimmed over Mulder then came to rest on the man standing behind him.

"What is it you needed to see me about, gentlemen?"

"Sir, we have a serious situation here."

The granny glasses came off.

"What situation?"

"We know what's going on. We're here to stop it."

"Mulder, if you wouldn't mind talking in riddles, I'd really appreciate it."

"We know what he wants you to do. Sir, you can't kill Krycek."

Skinner's expression was first one of surprise and then resolve.

"Is that so? And why can't I? Why *shouldn't* I? He's been a major pain in my ass...*and* yours for years now. This is finally our chance to be rid of him."

"No, sir. You don't understand. Krycek is just another link in *his* twisted chain. It's time to break the chain."

Skinner squinted at his former agent.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Sir." Doggett stepped forward, immediately gaining the A.D.'s attention. "Agent Mulder has filled me in on what's gone on around here the past few years. It certainly would seem that *he's* going through you...us...one by one. He's playin' us like a fiddle, and up till now no one has thought to do anything about it. Agent Mulder's right; we have to stop it right now."

"John," Skinner began, prompting a raised eyebrow from the other man. "You don't understand. Alex Krycek is the nastiest, lowest form of scum it has ever been my misfortune to come across. You yourself have had a little taste of what he's like..."

"Yes, sir, I have. And personally, I'd just as soon let him get what's coming to him. But..."

"But," Mulder interrupted, "if we let him get rid of just one more of us, that's one more degree of power we give him. And really, sir, don't you think he's got enough?"

"Maybe so, but..." Skinner looked down at his hands as he clasped them together. His brows drew down into a plaintive frown and he began to whine softly. "He's so *rotten*. He put these...these nano things in me and..." He drew a deep, stuttering breath and continued. "...and zaps me just for kicks. He refused to give us the cure for your virus because I wouldn't kill Scully's baby and..." He looked up at the other men. "Dammit, why *shouldn't* I kill him?"

"Sir," Mulder countered softly. "Most of us have got our reasons for wanting to see Krycek dead. But the surfer is the key. We let him know that we've had it with his insanity, and it *all* stops. The double-crossing, the conspiracies, the killing."

"And how do you know that for sure, Mulder?" Skinner asked, still not convinced. "Krycek's actions might not be his own idea, but he enjoys his work. You can see it in that smug little smirk of his. I vote for killing him and *then* bailing."

"No," Mulder replied, giving an adamant shake of his head. *No*. You can't. It can't *go* that way."

"Why not?" Skinner insisted. "That way everybody gets what they want."

"Listen to yourself!" Mulder shouted, startling everyone in the room. "You're no better than your description of Krycek!"

"Come on, dude," Langly spoke up. "Take it easy."

"*No*, Mulder shouted. "I will *not* take it easy." He stalked toward Skinner, turning a hard glare on the older man, the force of it knocking him back onto his desk. "You will *not* kill Krycek, you got that? I won't allow it. I'm not letting *him* run my life anymore. No more!"

"Okay, so you don't want him to run your life," Doggett interjected. "And we understand that. Hell, *no* one wants someone else in charge of their lives. That's why we're all here. But Agent Mulder...we're talking about *Krycek's* life. Violent...deceitful...*worthless*. Why are you so upset about him?"

"Krycek's not going to die," Mulder said softly to Doggett, giving no more answer than that, then looked again at Skinner. "If you think surfer boy's bad, you go ahead and try to kill Krycek. Then I'll show you bad."

Mulder left the office alone, slamming the door behind him and leaving the other men to stare in silence. Finally it was Byers who spoke up.

"I uh...I think he's upset."

"Yeah," Langly agreed. "Just a little. He's really serious about this, man. And you all know what Mulder's like when he's on a mission."

Skinner nodded, running his hand over the top of his head. "What do I do? What the hell do I do?"

Sympathizing with the A.D.'s indecision, Doggett walked over to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. Skinner looked up, casting a doe-eyed gaze on him.

"What do I do, John?"

Oblivious to the apprehensive looks the other three men tossed at each other, Doggett gently squeezed Skinner's shoulder.

"Follow your gut. You've got good instincts, and you know what's right."

"I'm not so sure I do in this case. Help me out here, John."

Five minutes later Skinner's door opened and all five men barreled out of the office, only to come face to grinning face with Mulder.

"I knew you'd come around," he told the stunned A.D.

Langly chuckled in amusement. "Man, I'm glad to see being dead for months hasn't dampened that twisted mind of yours."

"All right, Mulder," Skinner sighed. "What are we doing?"

"Yes, gentlemen, what *are* you doing?"

All six men turned to find Deputy Director Kersh glaring suspiciously at them. Doggett stepped forward.

"Nothing, sir. We were just discussing arrangements for Agent Mulder's friends here to bring a group in for a tour of the building."

One dark eyebrow arched above the rim of Kersh's glasses.

"Really? And that's *Mr.* Mulder."

"Yes sir."

"You're going through proper channels, I trust."

Mulder nodded, a mock serious expression on his face.

"Oh, yeah. Absolutely. We'd certainly never do anything to break the rules."

Kersh turned a suspicious eye to Doggett.

"Be sure you don't, John."

Doggett nodded, and the group moved on.

"Why didn't we tell him?" Skinner asked when they were well out of earshot. "He's one of us too."

"No, he isn't," Byers informed the A.D. "He's a plant. He's one of the surfer's men."

"How do you guys know all this stuff?"

"Always good to have an ear to the ground," Frohike answered.

"Not too far a trip for you, is it Frohike?" Doggett commented, failing miserably in his attempt to be one of the gang as the blank stares from most of the others had proved.

Skinner gave the other man what passed for a smile but said nothing.

"So, anyway," Frohike murmured, cutting the new agent a dirty, sidelong glance. "Where to now?"

"Scully," Skinner blurted out. "Scully's not here."

"She was at a Lamaze class with her mother. I told her I'd call her when we were ready to go."

"Go," Skinner repeated. "Go where?"

"I have a thought about that," Mulder replied, "but I'd really rather not say anything until we're all together."

"And who, exactly is *we all*?"

"Everybody he screws with. I think we have everybody now except for the guest of honor."

"What about Reyes?" Doggett asked. She's newer than I am, but you know he plans to use her a lot more."

"Oh. Yeah. You know where to find her?"

"Yeah. I think I know where to look."

"Well, why don't you go get her? I'll look for Krycek."

"We don't find Krycek," Skinner reminded Mulder acidly. "Krycek finds *us*."

"I know. And believe me, when he sees that we're all moving around *together*, he'll definitely come sniffing around to find out what's what."

"And then what?"

"Then we talk to him."

"Agent Mulder," Doggett jumped in, "do you really think that this Krycek character is gonna believe what you say and just fall in with us? If he's what he appears to be, it just isn't gonna be as easy as that."

"I'm sure it won't," Mulder agreed. "But he's coming with us. If I have to hogtie and gag him, he's coming."

//What the hell did I just say? God. Down boy, down!//

"We're going down into the bowels of hell to abduct the devil," Langly breathed. "Jeez, I can't believe we're doing this."

"It'll be fine," Mulder assured the blonde man. "Just let me handle it."

"Oh, believe me, he's all yours," Frohike shot back. "The less we have to deal with the prince of darkness, the happier we'll be."

"Yeah, okay, Frohike. Whatever." Mulder turned to the other agent.

"You gonna go find Reyes?"

"Yeah. I'll go right now. Where do you want to meet?"

"My apartment."

"Okay. I'm off."

"I'll go with you," Skinner volunteered, pushing his way between Mulder and Byers and hurrying to catch up to Doggett.

As the two left, Frohike looked up at Mulder, asking the question for all of them.

"What the *hell* is with Skinner? He's become such a damn wuss over the last several months."

"I don't know," Mulder droned, moving toward the exit. "I'd noticed a bit of a change in him before I disappeared, but the way he is now..." He shook his head. "Fellas, it's just one more reason why we have to make our break *now* ."

"H'llo?"

"Scully?"

"Mmm hmm."

"What're you doing?"

"Mom and I stopped off for ice cream after class."

"So, you're sitting there at some ice cream place with a mouthful of pistachio?"

"Yup. How'd you make out with Skinner?"

"Interesting choice of words, Scully."

"What d'you mean?"

"Using the words make out and Skinner in the same sentence."

"...Yeah, two more scoops...thanks. I'm not following, Mulder."

"What's up with Skinner and Dilbert?"

"*Doggett*. Come on, Mulder, give the guy a break. He's really not that bad."

"That's a subject for intense debate at some other time."

"Anyway...what do you mean, what's up with them?"

"I *mean*, Skinner is acting like a lovesick moose. You haven't noticed the way he looks at Dogbert? And he acts like *he's* the subordinate."

"I...Mulder, are you sure about that? I can't say that I've really noticed."

"Well, you've had a lot of other stuff on your mind, Scully, but I'm telling you. Even the Gunmen have noticed it. You think they might have some kind of kinky sex thing going on?"

"*Mulder*!"

"*What*? Is it really so unreasonable? You know the thing about people in positions of power wanting to have someone else in control in their sexual lives..."

"First and foremost, Mulder....you're *crazy*. Second of all, you *have* noticed that Diggle...damn, you got *me* doing it...*Doggett* is a man, haven't you?"

"Your point?"

"Skinner is also a man."

"Scully, do I have to explain the whole Adam and Steve thing to you?"

"Jesus, Mulder, I think the bugs ate away part of your brain while you were underground for those three months."

"You'd think they would have, wouldn't you? I guess in some ways it's a good thing that practicality isn't really a major concern of *his*, huh?"

"Mulder, where are you?"

"On our way to my apartment."

"Our way?"

"The Gunmen and I. Dogface and his shadow are on their way to find Agent Reyes."

"Reyes?"

"Yeah. New as she is, she's part of this too. Can you think of anyone we've forgotten?"

"Let's see...Cancerman...dead. Well Manicured man...dead. Albert Hostien...dead. Mmm...what about Marita whatsherface?"

"You know, I didn't even think of her. Has she been around at all?"

"No, but as far as I know she's still alive. Oh, and there's one other that I can think of. My brother Bill."

Mulder emitted a soft groan.

"Well, Mulder, you said everybody."

"Yeah, I did, didn't I? Shit."

"I'll contact him."

"All *right*, if you really have to. And listen, do me a favor and see if you can't scare up Covarubias too, huh? I'll send the Gunmen over to help you as soon as I can. I'm gonna have my hands full enough with Krycek."

"You got him yet?"

"No, but he'll show himself soon. That's actually one of the things I was calling about. Before you round up your brother and Marita, could you and your mother come over to my place? Krycek'll be a lot more curious and likely to show up if there's a large group there."

"Yeah, okay. I guess I can get the rest of my ice cream to go. I'll see you there soon."

Mulder disconnected just as he pulled up in front of his building. He put the car in park and killed the motor but made no move to get out of the car.

"Uh, Mulder? We just gonna sit here?" Langly asked, pitching forward to lean over the back of the front seat.

"Until the others arrive, yes. We gotta make a good show for Krycek."

"How do you know he's even watching?" Byers asked, genuinely curious to know.

"He's always watching me," Mulder commented softly then said no more.

"All right, what the hell's going on here?"

A pair of laser green eyes watched from the shadows as one then another car pulled up and a moderately sized group assembled on the street outside of Mulder's apartment building. He watched as everyone crowded around the one who was and always would be the nucleus of their group. Mulder spoke for a while, holding the attention of all, then they moved into the building.

"Having a party Mulder?" Krycek whispered. "Guess my invitation got lost in the mail."

Not that he'd ever needed an invitation.

He waited until he saw movement in the window belonging to apartment number forty-two, then he crept stealthily into the building, opting to use the darker parking garage as opposed to the lobby. As he moved through the quiet of the concrete structure, an unseen presence drifted along behind him. By the time he realized that he wasn't alone, the click of a weapon broke the silence.

"Turn around."

Mulder.

Slowly, Krycek pivoted and faced the gun pointed directly at his head. He smirked at the man holding the weapon, though his posture remained tense.

"All this for me, Mulder?"

Mulder cocked his head in question.

"A pretty unlikely group shows up at your apartment. Everybody disappears inside. Now, that wasn't enough to get me really suspicious, but now here you are with your gun pointed at me. You knew I was here. You hoped I'd be here. And here I am." He stared off into space, frowning. "Am I getting too predictable?"

"Getting predictable is the least of your problems right now, Krycek, believe me," Mulder answered evenly. "Come with me."

Curiosity far outweighing apprehension, Krycek turned and led the way to the elevator, boarding the empty car and leaning nonchalantly against the wall. Mulder stepped in directly after him and took up position adjacent to him.

"So," Krycek began as the door closed. "Gonna give me any clue as to why you've got me here?"

"Not until we get into my apartment."

"Oh. Wait. I know. It's a surprise party, isn't it? Mulder, that's so sweet of you guys. But my birthday is a few months off yet."

"Yeah? Then you'll thank me, Krycek, for seeing to it that you make it to that birthday."

The younger man fell silent, casting a wary gaze on the other.

The door opened, and the two men stepped out, Krycek again leading the way to Mulder's apartment.

"Open it," Mulder instructed, pointing with his gun to the doorknob.

Eight pairs of eyes looked to the entrance as the door swung open and Krycek shuffled in followed by Mulder.

"That didn't take very long, did it?" Frohike muttered, watching the two men walk toward them.

"What, no balloons?" Krycek asked, looking around. "No confetti, no cake..." He looked to Mulder. "You're a pretty lousy party planner, you know?"

"What the hell is he talking about?" Skinner grated, showing a little of the gruffness that those who knew him well remembered.

"Have a seat, Krycek," Mulder instructed softly, ignoring the A.D.'s question.

Finding no other choice available to him at the moment, Krycek did as he was asked, taking a seat in the nearest chair.

"Okay, what the hell's going on?" he asked, what little humor he'd displayed vanishing. He didn't like being the one in the dark. He didn't like it one little bit.

"Believe it or not, Krycek, we're here to save your ass."

"*Really*."

"Yeah."

The group parted, allowing Mulder to pull another chair up in front of Krycek's and sit down.

"You know how things work around here, Krycek. We're all at the mercy of the whims of one man. He's increasingly made more and more irrational decisions involving all of us. Do you agree with that?"

Krycek thought on the statement for a moment then nodded.

"Yeah. I agree with that. The more power he achieves, the crazier he gets."

"That's right. There's been absolutely no discernible reason for him to kill off ninety-eight percent of the people that he has. Little he does makes sense any more."

"Agreed. But why do you need me here? You think I've got some kind of influence on him that you don't? You want me to talk to him?"

"The only way to do this is to just come right out and say it. Krycek, you're next."

"I'm..."

"To die," Scully blurted out from around a mouthful of Oreo cookie.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"It's true," Mulder confirmed the woman's garbled message. "For whatever reasons he thinks he has, he's ordered your death."

Krycek looked around into the faces of everyone present then burst into laughter.

"You people are nuts."

"Krycek..."

"Why would he want to kill me? Aside from you, Mulder, I'm the only one around here who's even remotely interesting any more."

"Excuse me?" Scully began to rise from her own seat, but Doggett was there immediately, helping her back into her chair.

"Easy there, Agent Scully. Don't go gettin' yourself all upset now in your delicate condition."

"Holy Christ," Krycek groaned. "Here we have a prime example. You, Scully have been reduced to little more than a blubbering beach ball, and in sweeps Sir Doggonit here, with his fake-me-out New York accent, riding in on his white charger, throwing his cloak over every puddle you come across. Then there's these three." He waved his hand back and forth, indicating the Gunmen. "There's nothing I need to say about them but, well...*look* at them. And *Skinner*. Jesus, can we all say *castration*? There's nobody left here with any color but you and me, Mulder, and..."

Mulder cocked his head, watching some sort of realization dawn on the other man.

"Shit. *Shit*. That fucking prick!"

"Mr. Krycek, your language!"

Green eyes shifted in the direction of the shocked woman who sat beside Scully then lowered to the floor in temporary contrition.

"Sorry."

"What is it, Krycek?" Mulder asked, anxious to know what the other man had recalled.

Krycek looked up, scanning the other faces in the room then rested his gaze on Mulder.

"You weren't supposed to recover. He wanted things to play out just the way it looked as if they did, except that you were supposed to die."

"What do you mean?"

Krycek looked away. "You won't believe me."

"I'm sure we won't," Skinner muttered from his spot next to Doggett.

Ignoring the remark, Mulder leaned in, looking Krycek directly in the eye.

"Tell me."

Krycek stared back, unable to tear his gaze from the luminescent hazel eyes before him.

"It wasn't anything Scully or Skinner did that saved your life. In fact, what they did should have killed you."

"So, what did save me?"

"I was alone with you in your room for a little while before Skinner came in. I administered the vaccine."

"You're lying," Doggett countered, stepping forward. "You dropped the vial in the parking garage." He turned and looked at the group. "He did it purposely. He wanted to be sure I saw him do it."

"How did you become an FBI agent again?" Krycek asked. He shook his head in disgust and turned his attention back to Mulder, who hadn't taken his eyes off of him.

"I didn't want anyone to know I'd done it. First of all, because it'd completely decimate my rep as a self serving, conniving bad ass, and secondly, because I was trying to throw *him* off track. I knew he'd be pissed that I hadn't carried out my orders, but I couldn't do it."

"You had your chance to be rid of me and you didn't take it?" Mulder asked softly. "Why?"

"In all the years we've known each other...all the opportunities I'd had, I had never hurt you. Whether you know it or not, everything I did was to help you."

"But..." Mulder inched to the edge of his seat. His voice lowered as to be almost inaudible. "...why?"

Emerald eyes lowered to the space between their shoes.

"I don't know."

"I don't' believe that," Mulder argued. "You're not the type of man who's unsure about anything."

"You'd be surprised at how much I'm unsure of," Krycek murmured more to himself than to Mulder, but the older man heard the response and answered it.

"Well, you can be sure about this," he whispered, fighting the urge to touch the other's clasped hands. "He's marked you because you didn't follow orders. And because of that, I'm alive. And I'm not going to let *you* die."

Krycek snorted. "You've got every reason to do just that."

"Maybe so," Mulder agreed. "But I stand by my decision."

Krycek closed his eyes and lowered his head for a number of seconds.

"How was it supposed to happen?" he asked, his words directed at the floor.

"...Skinner."

Krycek jerked his head up. He stared at Mulder and then Skinner for a while before displaying a mirthless smile.

"You should be happier than a pig in..." He stopped and glanced quickly over at Mrs. Scully before rephrasing his observation. "You should be thrilled, Walt. Why are you here and not home, cleaning and loading your gun?"

Skinner glanced at Doggett then glared at Krycek.

"Because Mulder's way is best for all concerned."

"Ohhh," Krycek breathed. "The needs of the many..."

"Something like that."

Krycek's regard again fell on the one in front of him.

"What are you going to gain for all these people by saving me?"

Mulder shrugged. "Their humanity...and yours."

Krycek blinked, saying nothing more.

"So..."

All eyes turned toward Scully who had taken a break from her midday snack to speak.

"You on board or what, Krycek?"

Krycek looked from Scully and back, always back to Mulder.

"What's your plan?"

"Good God, Scully, you think you got enough food packed?"

The rotund redhead glared at the skinny blonde as he and Byers carried the cooler down to their van

"It's not that much," she yelled, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket. Dialing Mulder's number, she followed the pair out of the building and over to the van.

"Mulder."

"You ready?"

"Yeah."

"Now, Mulder, you're sure that today is the day?"

"*Yes*, it's today," Langly answered before Mulder could speak. He shut the side door of the van and stood, arms crossed over his chest. "You've asked that three times already."

"I just want to be sure we're going through all this on the right day. Mulder?"

"Hey, I got my information from *them*."

Scully emitted a heavy sigh. "Okay, okay. Who's there?"

"Just Marita Covarubias, Krycek and myself. Skinner called earlier and said that he and Dogbone would meet us there."

"Okay. Well, I'm going with the Gunmen and Agent Reyes, and my mother is going with Bill."

"Why aren't you with them?"

"Because Bill's done nothing but tick me off since he got here. I just needed a little space."

"Gotcha. Uh, Krycek? It's seventy degrees. Do you really think you need your jacket?"

Scully heard another voice belonging, she assumed, to Alex Krycek, but she couldn't make out the words.

"What'd he say?"

"He said that where he goes, his leather jacket goes."

"God, Mulder, it's warm already, and it's not even nine-thirty yet."

"I know he's gonna be sorry...I said you're gonna be sorry. We don't have to worry about Skinner shooting you, but you'll probably keel over from heat stroke." A soft chuckle sounded into the phone. "He just flipped me off."

"You two are getting along a lot better than I thought you would."

"Yeah. Shocking, huh? To be fair, though, you haven't been around for all the fights we've had when you weren't around."

"Well, it's was your idea for him to stay with you."

"Just wanted to make sure he didn't bolt or anything."

"Uh huh."

"What's the uh huh for?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all. Okay, Mulder. We're all ready to go here. We'll meet you at the rest stop on ninety-five, just after exit ten, right?"

"Right. We're about ready to go, too...yeah...oh....ah, shit, Scully, I gotta go. Krycek and Covarubias are fighting about something. I'll see you there."

Mulder disconnected and rushed toward the two, who were in the middle of a heated argument over who was going to sit in the front seat.

"Tough shit, bitch, you're lucky you're here at all. Get in the back seat."

"Look, you arrogant son of a bitch. I *told* you , I get car sick in the back seat."

"Then pop some Dramamine and shut the hell up."

"Whoa, whoa!" Mulder shouted, stepping between the two. "What's this about?"

"This jerk wants me to sit in the back seat!" Marita screeched then turned an exaggerated pout on Mulder. "Tell him I'm sitting in the front with you."

Krycek watched the bleached harpy run a hand up Mulder's arm, and he began to boil. A soft growl rumbled in his chest, and he wedged himself between them, nudging Mulder away from her.

"Knock it off, you slut," he grated, his eyes blazing a hateful green.

"Can't you two just flip a coin or something?" Mulder asked, trying to remain neutral.

Krycek spun around and eyed the other man, giving him his own special version of a persuasive pout. Mulder was floored.

"If you'd rather have her sitting up front with you, say so," the younger man murmured in his most pitiable tone.

"I didn't," Mulder sputtered, "I...I never said I..." A thought came to him, and though it was big chance to take, he went for it. "Marita, can you read a map?"

"Not very well, I'm afraid. Why?"

"Well," Mulder said, breathing an inaudible sigh of relief, "I really do need a map reader up front."

"Don't you know the way?"

"I've never been there before, no."

"I would think that there'd be signs all over the place."

"I'm sure. But probably not till only a few miles before the place." He turned to the man standing in front of him. "You can read a map, right?"

Krycek smirked at the seething woman and nodded.

"'Course I can."

Mulder shrugged and tried to give Marita as apologetic a look as he could.

"Sorry. Krycek gets the front seat."

"*Fine*."

The combatants moved past each other, each coming within mere centimeters of the other, muttering as they did.

"Sneaky bastard."

"Skank ho."

Marita threw open the back door and dropped onto the seat, staring daggers as the two men got into the front.

"Where's the map?" Krycek asked as soon as he and Mulder had closed their doors.

"Uh... glove compartment... wait," Mulder said, leaning across the seat and consequently, Krycek's lap. "...it's locked."

Marita craned her neck to see as Mulder took his time unlocking the little door and fishing for the map. Her gaze shifted to Krycek's face, which was washed with a mixture of discomfort and pleasure, and she reared back, kicking the seat with all the strength she could muster.

"Shit!" Krycek cursed loudly as both startled men looked back at the blonde.

"Oops," she purred thickly. "I'm really sorry, I just couldn't seem to get comfortable. There's not a whole lot of room back here."

Krycek glared at the woman, itching to blow her head off, but he didn't think Mulder would much appreciate having gray matter splattered all over his back seat and window.

So, the bitch'd live... for now...

Mulder said nothing. He simply retrieved the map and, handing it to Krycek, started the car and pulled away from the curb.

Doggett leaned against the hood of his car, arms crossed loosely over his chest, watching the other man walk to the edge of the rest stop and look up I-95.

"They're not that late."

Skinner turned around and walked back toward the other man.

"I know. I've just always had a thing about punctuality."

Doggett nodded.

"Can I ask you a question, A.D. Skinner?"

"I think under the circumstances Mulder is creating, first names are allowed. You can call me Walt."

Doggett was a bit discomfited with the suggestion, but he abided by the other man's wishes.

"All right."

"What was your question?"

"Would you have killed him?"

There was no hesitation.

"In a heartbeat."

Doggett said nothing, and Skinner continued.

"Alex Krycek has been a very painful thorn in my side for years. Mulder's too. I can't understand him wanting to protect him."

"He told us why."

"You really buy that?"

Doggett shrugged. "I don't know Agent Mulder well enough to read his motives."

"I've known Mulder for a long time. While I have no doubt that he's tired of being under someone else's thumb, I don't for a second believe that that's all there is to it. You know, come to think of it, there've been several times when he's been a little too ready to believe that there was more to Krycek than what we all saw."

"So, what're you sayin'?"

"I...I'm not sure. I just know he's got more reason for this than he's letting any of us know."

"Do you think it's harmful?"

Skinner dropped his gaze to the ground and shook his head. "Mulder would never put his friends, especially Scully in any danger."

"Then whatever reasons he might have outside of what he's told us are his own, right?"

"Yeah," Skinner breathed. "Yeah, I guess they are."

"Here comes somebody."

Skinner turned around and watched the van as it pulled into the rest stop and parked beside them. The passenger's side door opened up first, and Scully slid down out of the seat.

"I was beginning to wonder if we had the right rest stop, " Skinner said to her by way of greeting."

"Sorry. We had to make a stop."

"*Three* stops," Langly corrected the woman as he and the others got out of the van. "One bathroom stop, one for Snickers, and one for cheese popcorn."

"Yeah, thanks, Langly." Scully turned to Skinner and Doggett.

"I talked to my mother just a few minutes ago. They're right behind us; they should be here in a few minutes."

"What about Mulder?" Skinner asked, searching the rest stop entrance.

"I talked to him just before we left. He said they were ready to go too, but when he hung up, he was going to go break up some fight between Krycek and Marita Covarubias."

"Thought they were partners in crime, as it were," Skinner muttered.

"I don't know what their relationship is," Scully answered, turning around at the sound of a car pulling up behind them. The rented Buick rolled to a stop, and Bill Scully exited first, then Margaret.

"Okay, so we're here," he said before anyone could issue a word of greeting. "Where is he?"

"He isn't here yet," Scully sighed, noting the combative tone in her brother's voice.

"*Really*. You drag me all the way out here on some stupid whim of your partner's..."

"*I'm* her partner," Doggett interrupted.

Momentarily disconcerted, Bill Scully blinked at the man who was not Fox Mulder.

"Oh. Yeah. I heard about you." He turned back to his sister. "Okay, even worse. Your *ex*partner. And he's not even here yet."

"He ran into a little problem," Scully explained as calmly as she could. "He'll be here shortly, I'm sure. And Bill, please. For *me*. Don't start anything."

The male Scully snorted, but before he had a chance to answer, Mulder's car pulled up behind the rest. His eyes narrowed on the small group that had just alighted from the car, more accurately, on the two men who walked side by side toward them, and Scully could feel the tension rise.

"So," Bill Scully began, directing his conversation at Mulder before a word could be said by anyone else. "Here he is. The coordinator of this little party. The least you could have done was get here first to greet everyone."

"Nice seeing you too, Bill," Mulder murmured. Paying no more attention to the other man, he turned to address the entire group. "Everybody ready to have a good time and put our friend in his place?"

"Speaking of whom," Skinner looked at his watch. "He's got to be wondering what the hell's going on. Krycek should be bleeding all over the garage floor of the Hoover Building by now."

"Dana told me this ridiculous story," Bill Scully broke in, "but who's this Krycek?"

"That would be me."

Bill Scully focused his attention on the man who stood by Mulder's side, quickly sizing him up and coming to all the wrong conclusions as he would discover soon enough.

"Hmm. Well, I'll tell you, Mr. *Krycek*, I don't know you from Adam. I've never even heard of you before the day my sister called me to tell about all of this. I'm not here for you. I'm sure as hell not here for *him*, he snorted, motioning toward Mulder. "I'm here because my sister asked for me to be. Said it was for my own good and that of my family."

"That's why we're all here, Bill," Scully reminded her brother then looked to Mulder, who hadn't moved an inch from Krycek's side. "Right, Mulder?"

"Yeah. Mmm hmm. That's why we're all here."

Krycek remained silent, eyes and ears taking everything in.

"And who's this?"

Mulder followed Bill Scully's gaze to the woman who stood a few feet behind them.

"This is..."

"Marita Covarubias," the blonde answered in her most smoky tone as she stepped forward, offering her hand.

The man took her hand and gave her the first smile anyone had seen since...well, the first smile anyone had ever seen.

"He dragged you into this too, did he?"

"I'm part of this also, Mr. Scully. Not to as large an extent as Agent Mulder, your sister and..." She gave Krycek a brief toss of her head. "...him, but Agent Mulder thinks it's important to put up a united front, and I trust him."

The blonde pulled her hand out of the man's grip and took the opportunity to move closer to Mulder.

"We're all here now?" she asked, laying a hand on Mulder's shoulder.

"Yeah," Krycek snapped, yanking the woman away from her target. "Get in the damn car..."

"Hey now," Doggett warned, stepping forward, "that's a lady you're manhandling there."

"*Lady*", Krycek snorted. "Where the hell do *you* see a lady?" He eyed the man who had come far too close to his personal space for his liking. "Step off Marshall Dillon, you're breathing my air."

"Krycek..."

He turned to the man who had moved quietly back to his side.

"Don't worry, Mulder, I'm not gonna kill him."

"*Kill* him," Doggett laughed. "Listen, junior, you might have had the advantage the last time we met because you were in a *car*, but we're face to face now, and I'll mop the floor with you..."

Krycek burst into laughter. "He'll mop the floor with me. Jesus Christ, what decade did he get *you* from?"

The color rose in Doggett's face, and his lips stretched into a hard, thin line, which was a hell of a trick, since he didn't have much to work with to start. He stepped forward, his chest practically touching Krycek's, and Mulder and Skinner were there, pulling the two apart.

"Come on, John, forget it. All this posturing is not exactly condusive to what we're trying to accomplish here."

"I know," Doggett answered as he let Skinner lead him away. "I...but like you said, this character really knows how to get a guy all riled up."

"Now you know what we all know."

"Which is?" Krycek asked, not struggling against Mulder's restraining grip.

"That you're a spiteful, ungrateful, sneaky *asshole*..."

"Oh, my goodness," Mrs. Scully gasped then turned to her daughter. "Dana, do you swear like this when I'm not around?"

"No, Mom," Scully answered with as much innocence in her tone as she could muster.

"I certainly hope not. I never ever swore in front of you kids, and I don't expect that you'd..."

"*Ungrateful*?" Krycek spat back at Skinner, picking that one particular word to harp on. "I hope you're not suggesting that I've got anything to be grateful to *you* for."

"You're not dead, are you? You're here in the company of decent people, aren't you?"

"And what've *you* got to do with any of that? It's because of Mulder that we're all here, which, I gotta tell you Mulder," he said, looking to the other man, "doesn't seem like the best of ideas right about now."

"It'd be fine," Mulder started out softly then got quickly louder, "if everybody would stop all this damn sniping and posturing, and remember what the hell we're here for! Now, everybody get in your freakin' cars, and let's go!"

Krycek and Skinner glared at each other for another second, then the younger man spun around and followed Mulder, who was already stomping in the direction of his vehicle with Marita close on his heels.

Both were already in the car when Krycek dropped into the passenger's seat, and he cast Mulder a wary look.

"Sorry Mulder, okay?" he said to the irritated man. "But you had to know that this wasn't going to be any walk in the park. Covarubias and I hate each other. Skinner hates me, I'm not too fond of him either...Scully's brother obviously has no great affection for *you*...you're not wild about Dogboy..." He grinned. "Though Skinner seems to have taken to him. Just a few months on the job and he's already calling him John?"

"What're you getting at, Krycek?" Mulder asked, starting the car and pulling back out onto the highway.

"A.D. Skinner has a very large crush on Agent Doggett," Covarubias explained, shockingly in agreement with Krycek. It couldn't be more obvious."

Mulder sighed and changed lanes.

"So, you noticed too, huh?"

"Mrs. *Scully* probably noticed," Krycek commented softly.

Mulder glanced across the seat at the other man then back at the road. Anything he'd thought to say vanished from his mind as his cell phone rang.

"Mulder..."

"That isn't the only glaringly obvious fact around here," Marita mumbled from the back seat, her words picked up by Krycek's remarkable hearing. He turned around, fixing an icy gaze on her.

"You say something?"

"You heard what I said," Marita hissed, sending an equally vicious stare Krycek's way. "And you can forget it. You're not getting what you want."

"What is it you think I want?" Krycek asked sweetly, fluttering ridiculously long eyelashes at the woman.

"Don't play games with me, Krycek. I'm not stupid. And I'm *not* going away," she concluded.

Krycek faced front, chuckling softly.

"We'll see about that, won't we?"

"And you're sure we're on the right road?"

"For the eighth time, Scully, *yes*. Krycek says we should be there in about ten minutes."

"Is he sure he's reading that map right?"

"She wants to know if you're sure you're reading the map right."

Mulder held the cell phone up, and Krycek yelled into it.

"I'm *sure*, Scully."

Mulder brought the phone back to his ear.

"Okay?"

"Oh. Okay, Mulder. Krycek's word is good enough for *me.*"

"Well, what d'you think, Scully? You think he's gonna lead us all off a cliff or something? Look, stop calling me, okay? You keep distracting me, and I might just drive right by the exit."

Mulder hung up and dropped the phone onto the seat then glanced over at Krycek, shaking his head.

"She says she's *starving*."

"How the hell long's she been pregnant now?"

"Near as I can figure, a little over a year."

"And no one finds this odd?"

"No one but me has even questioned it."

Krycek looked out the window, a distant expression on his face.

"You were right, Mulder. He's really gone around the bend. And I don't mean just because he wants me dead next. I mean for all of it. Of course, I was his vehicle a whole lot of the time, delivering his insanity." The younger man sighed, refusing to remove his gaze from the window. "I...God. I'm sorry. About so many things."

"Really?"

Green eyes drifted to meet surprised hazel.

"I know how it must sound to you, but yeah. Yeah, really."

"Oh, please."

Mulder glanced up to the rearview mirror and met a look of sheer disgust.

"You don't really believe that garbage he's spewing, do you?" Marita asked, the contempt for the man who'd uttered the words of apology more than evident in her tone.

"I may be crazy," Mulder answered, switching his gaze back to the road and then Krycek, "but yeah, I do believe him."

Krycek blinked in mild shock then lowered his eyes to his lap for a moment before looking straight ahead.

"Be careful, Agent Mulder. You know that saying about a rat not being able to change its stripes."

"I believe that's a tiger, but yes, I know the saying. And thank you, Marita, but I can take care of myself just fine."

"There's the exit," Krycek informed Mulder softly, and Mulder put his blinker on, checking his sideview mirror to make sure that Langly was behind him. Brief minutes later, they were pulling into a huge dirt parking lot already more than half full of cars.

The group slowly re-formed by Mulder's car, and he noticed that a few of his friends had already begun to smile.

"Damn, you know how long it's been since I've been to a carnival?" Langly grinned, inhaling the scent of popcorn, hot dogs and numerous deep fried delicacies. Scully was next to be infected.

"Oh, I know," she moaned. "Jeez, I'm starving now."

"You were starving *before*, Byers pointed out, the beginnings of a smile forming in the middle of his whiskers.

"Those sounds remind me of Coney Island in the summertime when I was a kid," Doggett sighed, listening to the whirr of the rides and delighted screams of children. He smiled at Skinner. "Bring back any memories for you?"

"A few," Skinner gave the other man the closest thing to a smile yet. "Okay, Mulder, maybe this wasn't such a bad idea afterall." He turned and started toward the entrance. "Let's go."

As the group walked along, Margaret Scully watched a young family up ahead and nudged her son.

"Reminds me of when you kids were little," she chirped, watching the two girls and one boy run around the bench their parents were seated on. "We didn't have a whole lot of money, for big vacation, but twice while we lived in California, we took you all to Disneyland. We had the best time..."

"I remember a little about it," Bill Mulder answered, still unaffected by the sudden cheerfulness that had broken out over most of the group. "This is hardly Disneyland, though."

Ignoring the male Scully's ill humor and Marita's continued bitchy silence, Mulder looked to the man walking by his side.

"What about you?"

Green eyes met his and stared in question.

"Me?"

"Yeah," Mulder murmured. "Any carnivals or amusement parks in your past?"

Krycek looked away, shaking his head. "No."

"Not one?"

"We were very poor," he answered almost inaudibly, leaving it at that.

Not knowing what to say to that, Mulder let the thread drop, and they moved through the entrance and onto the grounds.

"So, what do we do first?" Frohike asked, looking in twelve different directions at once.

"*Eat*!" Scully piped up, sniffing the air.

"Jeez, Scully, how much food can one little woman hold?" Mulder asked, grinning. "Okay, how about we all go get some lunch, then we take it from there?"

With nine people in agreement and two just going along with the crowd, they all moved in the direction Scully's nose had led them. Half an hour later, they were seated at three different benches, picking at a variety of unhealthy and completely delicious food.

As the group ate and chattered, a presence behind Mulder's back made itself known.

"So. When are you going to own up to it?"

Mulder pivoted and squinted up at Bill Scully. The attention of another was also drawn to the standing man as he sneered down at Mulder.

"What are you talking about?"

"My sister," the other man spat. She refuses to name the father of her child. But I know it's you."

"Really?" Mulder droned. "And how do you know that?"

"Who the hell else does she spend every goddamn day with?"

"Bill, does your mommy know you swear?"

"Son of a bitch punk, you're gonna tell me..."

Bill Scully's hand shot out, intending to grab the front of Mulder's shirt, but just as his fingers came in contact with the material, he found his wrist in a painful vice grip. He turned a startled gaze to the man seated beside Mulder and tried to free his arm, but Krycek wasn't letting go until he was damn good and ready.

"Call off your bulldog, Mulder," the other man gasped through gritted teeth.

More than a bit surprised at Krycek's immediate response to the threat against him, Mulder drew two breaths, composing himself, then spoke.

"Krycek...Alex...let...let him go. "

"Yes, *Alex*," Marita purred, looking around then glaring at Krycek. "Do let the man go before you begin to draw attention."

In response, Krycek jerked the man closer. So close that Bill Scully could feel the warmth of his breath fanning his cheek.

"Touch him again," Krycek hissed so softly only the man for whom the threat was intended could hear it, "even *think* about touching him again, and I'll rip out your spleen and feed it to you."

As soon as he was released, Bill Scully stumbled backward, rubbing his freed wrist.

"This is what we're protecting?" he whispered harshly, staring down at the two men.

"Bill?" Margaret Scully had finally noticed that her son was no longer seated at the bench with her, and had turned from her conversation with Agent Reyes to look for him. She found him in front of Mulder's bench, looking whiter than usual and more than a bit startled. "Bill, are you all right?" she called, not immediately getting an answer.

"We're protecting our group. Alex is part of it," Mulder answered the standing man.

"Yeah, well, you know what? I don't want to be part of your *group*. I don't want to be part of anything that either of you is asscoiated with. I'll take care of myself, *by* myself."

"For God's sake, be reasonable. You're much more vulnerable alone. Stop being such a stubborn ass and stay with us."

"Why?" Bill Scully laughed bitterly. "So *he* can kill me instead?"

"Alex isn't going to kill you," Mulder answered, shooting the younger man a mildly annoyed look and receiving a sweet smile in return for his efforts.

"Forgive me if I don't believe two words you say," the older Scully spat. "I'm out of here."

Krycek waved as the man stormed off, and Margaret Scully ran after him.

"Krycek..."

"What happened to Alex?" Krycek asked, giving Mulder a bone-melting pout.

Mulder tilted his head back and sighed.

"You shouldn't have done that to him."

"What, you expected me to just sit here and let him...to use Agent Dilbert's phrase, *manhandle* you?"

"I can take care of myself, thanks."

Krycek shrugged and looked away.

"Sorry. Kind of hard habit to break, I guess. I'll try harder to control myself in the future."

Mulder's eyebrows drew down into a curious frown.

"Habit?"

No answer.

Mulder spun around on the bench, back to the table, looking out at the passing crowds.

"Look, Kryc...Alex. I uh...I didn't thank you."

"...What for?"

"If it wasn't for you giving me that vaccine, I'd be...God knows what the hell I'd be."

"Nothing I'd want to be sitting at a park bench having lunch with, I'll tell you that," Krycek answered, popping an onion ring into his mouth.

"Yeah. So...you wanna...you done?" he asked, nodding toward the food.

"I guess. These onion rings are hard to stop eating, though."

Mulder rose from the bench and picked up the cardboard box.

"We can take them with us."

Krycek rose and began walking along with the other man. "Where are we going?"

"To do what we came to do."

Krycek looked back at the remaining few, who appeared oblivious to the decrease in their numbers.

"Don't you think we should have said something to them?"

Mulder shook his head. "Then some of them probably would have wanted to come with us."

Emerald eyes stared intently.

"You w...wanted for us to be alone?"

"Do you mind?"

"Umm..." Krycek shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "No. Guess not."

"I don't mind either."

Mulder groaned softly as the smoky feminine voice drifted at them from behind.

Marita slipped her arm through Mulder's and sent Krycek a spiteful grimace.

"I'd almost think that you were trying to ditch me, Agent Mulder."

"Don't think it," Krycek growled. "We *were* trying to ditch you."

The woman fluttered her eyelashes at the other man.

"You were?"

"I..." Mulder stuttered, "I did want to speak with Alex alone."

"My," Marita purred, cutting a hateful glance in Krycek's direction, "aren't we just bosom buddies all of a sudden? And what do you suggest I do while you're...speaking...alone?"

"Go drown yourself in the kiddie pool we passed back there?" Krycek recommended helpfully. "Or...throw yourself off the top of the ferris wheel?"

"Alex..."

"Gimme a minute, gimme a minute," Krycek waved at Mulder. "I'll think of somemore. Uh..."

"Rot in hell, sleazy bastard," Marita snarled softly then returned her attention to the other man.

"I don't know really know those other people," she complained. "What am I supposed to do if I'm not with you?"

"Fox?"

"Oh, God, now what?" Mulder groaned, turning to see Margaret Scully walking toward them.

"Fox, what happened between you and Bill?" Mrs. Scully asked, casting a wary glance at Krycek before coming to stand in front of Mulder. "He's very upset. He says that he wants no part of this plan of yours, and that he'd rather take his chances with *him* than spend one more minute in your company."

"I'm sorry about that, Mrs. Scully," Mulder answered softly. "But your son has never made any secret of the fact that he doesn't like me. He blames me for everything that's ever happened to your family, and now he believes that I've fathered Dana's baby and just refuse to step forward and take responsibility. He confronted me about that just a little while ago, we uh..." He glanced quickly at Krycek then back at Mrs. Scully. "...had words, and he left."

"Alex *threatened* him, and he left," Marita added, hoping to stir up a bit of trouble.

Margaret Scully's eyes darted to Krycek's face.

"You threatened my son?"

"Not without reason..."

"You know, I had a feeling about you. You *look* like a bully."

"A *bully*." Krycek folded his arms over his chest. "This coming from the mother of Eddie Haskell?"

Mulder turned away quickly to keep Mrs. Scully from seeing the amused grin he couldn't suppress.

"Look, lady," Krycek went on, "I didn't pick on your poor, defenseless baby boy. He did the picking. I simply put a stop to it."

"My son isn't the type of person who intimidates people."

"You obviously need to spend more time with your son, Mrs. Scully, to get to know the man you don't believe exists. He *did* threaten Mulder with physical violence. If someone threatened a friend of yours right in front of you, would you stand by and do nothing?"

"I...I suppose not, but...you must have misunderstood."

There was no misunderstanding. You boy Billy called Mulder here a bad name...yes, Mrs. Scully, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but your son curses. He then reached out to grab Mulder, and that's when I stepped in. And you know, even after that Mulder tried to get him to stay. He didn't want to." Krycek shrugged. "He's on his own."

Mrs. Scully looked from Krycek to Mulder.

"Do you really think he'll be in danger alone?"

"I'm really not sure. The rest of us are here, so I don't know who else our friend could get to do anything to Bill. Unless he brings in someone new. Can't put anything past him."

Mrs. Scully pressed her fingertips to her mouth and looked away.

"Oh, my goodness. I should try to find him."

"What you should do, Mrs. Scully," Mulder suggested. "Is stay here. Your pregnant daughter needs your presence much more than your stubborn, angry son."

"I disagree," Krycek interrupted, ignoring Mulder's questioning look. "He probably hasn't left the grounds. Maybe you should go looking for him. But not alone...what's that, Marita? Oh, that's nice, I'm sure Mrs. Scully would appreciate that..."

Covarubias had only enough time for a suspicious glance before Krycek grabbed her arm and shoved her at the older woman.

"Marita says she'll help you look for little Billy."

"Oh, thank you so much, Miss Covarubias." Mrs. Scully slid her arm through Marita's as the blonde tossed an odious glare at the smirking man.

"Bye bye bitch," Krycek whispered as the older woman dragged Marita away, leaving him alone again with Mulder.

"Quick thinking," an admiring Mulder said, moving to Krycek's side as they watched the women disappear into the crowd.

"Part of the job," Krycek murmured then looked at Mulder. "So. What did you want to talk to me about?"

Mulder smiled down at the ground as they began to walk.

"Nothing earthshaking. Just...I just wanted to get to know you."

"Why?" There was no suspicion in Krycek's tone. Only curiosity and a tinge of hope.

"I don't know," Mulder shrugged. "Seems like a good idea, I guess. What we're doing here...does it change anything?"

"What d'you mean?"

"Taking control of our own lives. Being our own men. How much will it change us?"

"I don't think it'll change you much at all."

"No?"

Krycek shook his head. "I don't see where you've been much of an intitiator in any of this. Things have happened to you, and you've reacted to them. Your feelings...your emotions...they're your own. No one can make you feel anything. I think you're the sincerest one in this bunch, and I don't see that changing."

The two walked in silence for a while, then Mulder looked up and over at the other.

"What about you?"

A bitter smile curved the younger man's lips.

"Me? I'm the anti-Mulder. What more do you need to know about me?"

"I need to know why. You think I'm the sincerest, Alex, and I think you're the smartest and most independent."

"Me?" Krycek laughed. "What the hell have you been smoking? Those titles definitely go to you."

Mulder shook his head. "No. I think you've given me a lot more help than you're saying. And in order for you to have done that, you'd had to have outsmarted our friend on more than one occasion. I want to know why you went to so much trouble. Did you just like screwing with him or what?"

"Yeah," Krycek admitted. "But I didn't always outsmart him. In fact, I..."

"You what?"

"Failed you."

Mulder cocked his head. "Failed me?"

"When I most needed not to. It wasn't supposed to go the way it did. Not as far as I was concerned, anyway. He tricked me, that motherfucker." Krycek's gaze grew distant, and Mulder wasn't even sure he was talking to him anymore. "And I don't know how I didn't see. I think...I think he knows, and he purposely blinded me..."

"Whoa, Alex, whoa. You're totally confusing me here."

"Sorry. Look, forget it, okay? We're getting way off track, anyway. The answer to your original question is, yes, it will change me. It already has in some ways, though I'm sure no one believes that."

"I believe it."

Krycek forced himself out of his pensive mood and gave Mulder a grin.

"You'll believe *anything*."

"Lucky for you," Mulder shot back, returning the humor. "So...what do you want to do first?"

Krycek shrugged. "What did you like to do at carnivals when you were a kid?"

"I liked the games. Rides..." Mulder looked up at the ride they'd happened to be passing. "Of course, back then there wasn't anything called the Mind Eraser."

Krycek looked up at the roller coaster type ride, noting it's treacherous twists and turns. He listened to the frantic screams of the passengers as they whizzed by, and he smiled.

"Looks kinda cool."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

"Krycek, that thing's gotta be going mach two. You're not actually considering..."

"I like speed," the younger man explained, his eyes glittering with excitement. "It turns me on."

//Okay, why'd he add *that* ?//

"Okay, uh...have a ball."

The sable head turned, and Krycek smiled at Mulder, shaking his head.

"No. Oh...no, I am *not*."

"C'mon, Mulder, we're supposed to be here to have fun."

"I see no fun in puking up vital organs."

"Okay," Krycek murmured, sulking beautifully, and making Mulder's traitorous body tingle all over.

"All right, against my better judgment, all *right*. But let's let our lunch settle a little first, okay?"

Krycek's face immediately brightened, and he agreed. He looked around, scoping out the area.

"So, what can we do in the meantime that doesn't involve excessive speed and weightlessness?"

Mulder searched around and, finding what he was looking for, led his companion over to a long booth.

"I used to love to play this game as a kid." He pointed at the bullseye, indicating the different colors and scores. "The better you shoot, the bigger your prize."

Krycek scanned the garishly colored stuffed animals behind the vendor then looked over at Mulder, and finally at the targets. He shrugged, reached behind his back, pulling his gun out from under his jacket, and took aim.

It took the click of the safety to spur a stunned Mulder into action.

"*Shit*. No!" The alarmed man jumped in front of Krycek at the same time, grasping his arm at the wrist and lowering it between them.

"Not with *your* gun," Mulder gasped, looking around to see if anyone had been watching. "What the hell are you doing with that here, anyway?"

"Are you carrying yours?"

"Yeah, but *I'm* a federal agent."

"*Were* a federal agent."

Mulder shrugged. "Hard habit to break. I never turned in my I.D. either."

Krycek chuckled. "Well, anyway, I'm a *triple* agent," he teased. "We're required to carry arms too."

"Christ. Just put it away, would you? You use one of the rifles on the counter."

"I don't want to," Krycek threw back, wrinkling his nose in distaste.

"You *have* to. What d'you think they're here for?"

"I don't know. For people who don't have their own guns?"

"God. No, Alex. Come on, put that away."

Once the gun had disappeared behind Krycek's back, Mulder ushered him to the counter. It was only then that he'd realized that the vendor had seen Krycek pull his gun, and was standing frozen with fear.

//Crap.//

Mulder held up a hand, attempting to soothe the man.

"It's okay." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his I.D.. "Federal agents," he lied smoothly, making Krycek smile.

Relief slackened the vendors taut features, and he began to smile.

"You guys wanna play? Three shots for two bucks."

"I only need one shot," Krycek countered, reaching into his pocket. "How much is that?"

"I can't just sell you one shot, sir. The price is three for two."

"I don't *need* three." Krycek leaned in, giving the man an icy stare. "You trying to rip me off?"

Mulder lowered his head and groaned. He then looked up and gave the vendor an apologetic smile.

"Sorry. He's never been to a carnival."

"You don't say."

Mulder paid the two dollars and, convincing Krycek that the man was not trying to rip them off, he picked up the rifle closest to the younger man and handed it to him. Motioning to the target, he stepped back a few inches to watch...

"I can't believe they just disappeared like that," Doggett huffed while scanning the ever growing crowds for their wayward companions.

"You don't know Mulder that well," Scully answered around a mouthful of popcorn. "He disappears on me all the time. What surprises me is that my mother and brother took off without saying anything."

"You think they're all together?" Reyes asked, blinking as several members of the group broke into laughter.

"Bill Scully and Mulder hanging out together?" Langly cracked. "Not in this lifetime."

"I know what went on earlier between them, but I saw him over at Mulder's bench while we were having lunch," Reyes shrugged. "I thought maybe it was a good thing."

"I don't think so," Byers cut in. "Bill Scully looked pretty upset. I saw him make a grab for Mulder, but Krycek jumped in, and from the look of it, leveled some kind of threat. He took off a little while after that."

"Krycek threatened my brother?"

"Like I said, he tried to grab Mulder first."

"He was talking to Mulder?" Skinner interjected, surprised. "How'd I miss that?"

"Gee, we can't imagine," Frohike droned, his gaze flicking back and forth between Skinner and Doggett.

Just as Doggett was about to ask Frohike what his comment was supposed to mean, Langly nodded to the pile of enormous stuffed animals walking toward them.

"Here come Butch and Sundance now, Scully. Now you can find out firsthand what happened."

"What the hell have you two done?" Scully began yelling at Mulder and Krycek as they came within ear shot. "My brother and mother are missing."

"And what happened to Miss Covarubias?" Doggett added, looking around for the blonde.

The two men came to a halt, and Mulder peeked around the giant purple and green cat he held.

"Hey, Scully, I hope you plan on getting another apartment with a really big nursery. These things are damn big."

"Mulder, you're evading the question. *Where* are my mother and Bill?"

"Your brother is a big asshole, you know that Scully?" Krycek asked, setting his orange horse down on the ground in front of him and hiking the giant snake that was wrapped around the two of them up higher on his shoulders. "He threatened Mulder then took off, and now your mother and Covarubias are walking around looking for him."

"They're still on the grounds?"

"Don't know."

"Well, let's go look for them."

"Hell no!" Krycek fumed. "He wants to be an idiot, let him. Nobody's gonna suffer for it but him."

"Scully," Mulder called, turning the redhead's glare from Krycek to himself. "We did nothing to Bill. He instigated everything. *He* made the decision that he didn't want any part of us, and he walked away. I asked him to stay, but he left anyway. I'm not going looking for him, and neither should you. Let your mother handle it if she finds him."

"Really, Mulder?" Blue eyes bounced between the two men. "You'd tell me if Krycek started it, wouldn't you?"

"Of course, I would. He didn't, Scully. Your brother instigated the whole thing. You know how he feels about me."

"Yeah," Scully sighed, shaking her popcorn box. "Yeah, I know. Okay, let him work it out for himself. Now," she said, grinning at the stuffed animals. You said these are for me? God, they're so...*loud*. Scully reached out to touch the part of the snake that was coiled around Mulder's waist but drew back as Krycek's voice rumbled.

"Hands off the snake, red. You can have the rest of this stuff, but he's mine."

"Remind you of a family member, Krycek?" Skinner asked flatly.

"Kiss my ass, Wally. Oh. Wait. I'm sure you're saving your pucker for somebody else, arent'cha?"

Skinner flushed a deep crimson as an amused green gaze flicked back between him and Doggett.

"Go to hell," the older man grated past clenched teeth.

"Oh." Krycek raised a hand to his lips. "I'm sorry. Is it a secret? Forgive me, I'll say no more."

Mulder intervened before any blood could be shed.

"Scully, there are three more of these things in my car, but we couldn't fit the others." Mulder looked to the Gunmen for help. "Guys, can we put the rest in your van?"

"Yeah, sure," Langly offered, handing Mulder the keys.

"Is there another snake?" Scully asked hopefully. "He's so cute."

"Nope. Sorry."

"Well, why can't I have this one?" she whined. "Come on, Krycek, what do *you* want with a stuffed animal?"

Hazel eyes met green, and Mulder looked down, smiling softly. Scully did not miss the shared look.

"*Well*?"

"It's mine, okay?" Krycek answered simply then looked to Mulder. "We gonna go dump this stuff of what?"

"Yeah." Mulder raised his head and began walking in the direction of the entrance, followed by Krycek. "We'll catch up with you in a little while," he called to the rest of the group.

Scully watched the two walk away, her eyes narrowed to tiny slits.

"What the hell's going on here?"

"Are you kidding?" Frohike crowed. "Those two are just as bad as these two." He jerked a thumb toward Skinner and Doggett, who had wandered off toward the ring toss game. "In fact, *worse*. Doggett kinda seems oblivious to the way Skinner's mooning over him, but Mulder and Krycek *both* know what's up. God, I never would have imagined."

Reyes nodded her agreement. "I don't know either of them from a hole in the wall other than what I've heard, but given their history, they sure do appear quite chummy. They haven't wandered farther than a few inches from each other's side since this morning."

"There's nothing going on between them," Scully murmured uncertainly. "I mean...Mulder would have told me."

"Maybe there's nothing to tell just yet," Reyes replied. "They do seem to be more in the courtship phase..."

"*Courtship*," Scully whispered then faced the group. "Look, why don't you guys go and catch up with Skinner and Doggett. I'll be back in a few."

"Scully, are you going to spy on them?" Langly teased, rubbing his two index fingers together.

"No, I'm...I'm just going to look around and see if I can't spot my mother and Bill."

"Uh huh."

"Look, just shut up and go, all right? I'll find you soon." And with that, Scully waddled off in the direction Mulder and Krycek had just gone.

The two men walked together toward the entrance, matching stride for long stride. The silence between them seemed to stretch farther than the mere inches that separated their bodies. Finally, Mulder spoke.

"You really like that thing?"

"Hmm? Oh, the snake?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah, I like it," Krycek answered, temporarily fascinated with the huge puffs of blue clouds that a vendor was spinning for a group of children.

"What's so interesting?"

"What the hell does cotton candy taste like, anyway?"

Mulder sent the younger man a surprised look.

"You've never had cotton candy?"

"No."

"Damn, Krycek. It's...it tastes pretty much like fluffy sugar."

"Fluffy sugar."

"Yeah. We can get some on the way back in, okay?"

Krycek wrinkled his nose. "Nah. That's okay. I...I was just curious."

"Well, let's satisfy your curiosity."

"No, really. It's...it's a kid thing."

"Who says?"

"I don't know. Look around you."

Mulder glanced around, seeing mostly children carrying the giant confectionary puffs, but a few adults as well.

"It's not just for kids. See? There are some grown ups right over there."

"Yeah, and look at 'em. Geeks, one and all."

Mulder laughed. "And we don't look stupid carrying these ridiculous stuffed animals?"

Krycek shrugged and said nothing.

"Speaking of which," Mulder said, getting back on track. "You really won't hurt my feelings, you know, if you don't want that snake. I don't know why I...I mean, just because you said it was cute...I don't know why I felt like I had to win it for you."

Krycek hugged the snake to his chest, and he gave Mulder a confused frown.

"Are you feeling funny about it now? If it bothers you that much, I..."

"No. I just thought it might bother *you*. You know...accepting a...a gift...from me..."

They reached the van, and Mulder unlocked the door while Krycek leaned against the side.

"I really like it," he answered softly as Mulder slid the door open. "And I really do want to keep it." Green eyes met amber-flecked, and Krycek gave the older man a tiny smile. "Thank you."

Mulder stared, hypnotized for long seconds, then he cleared his throat and tossed the cat inside. He held out his hand, and Krycek gave him the horse, which he threw in after the cat. When he reached out for the snake, Krycek stepped back, shaking his head.

"No. I don't want to put it in there. Why can't we put it in your car?"

"There's no more *room*. Unless we go and get one of the others and put it in here."

"Yeah. Let's do that."

Having retrieved a lime green frog from the back seat of Mulder's car, they replaced it with the snake, and carried the frog back to the van.

"I guess we'd better see about catching up to everybody," Mulder announced softly as he slid the door shut, but made no move to leave. Somehow, it seemed that he and Krycek had wound up standing so close together, their bodies were just barely touching.

"Yeah. Wouldn't want them forming a..."

Krycek's last words died on a soft moan as Mulder's lips brushed his. The older man drew back, shocked by what he'd done and the reaction it prompted, and he stared for a moment before looking down at the ground.

"I'm s...I...I don't know...Jesus, I don't know where that came from."

Heart pounding out a frantic rhythm, Krycek reached out, curling his fingers in Mulder's shirt, and pulled the other man against him, imitating his action. But instead of stopping there, his tongue inched out, swiping gently at the generous curve of Mulder's lower lip.

"Oh, God," Mulder whimpered, his arms winding around the younger man and pulling him in for a thorough, mind-numbing kiss. A mortified female shriek separated them quickly, and the two blinked dazedly at a stunned Scully.

"What the *hell* is this? Oh my God, Mulder, tell me I was blinded by the sun or something, and I couldn't *possibly* have seen what I think I just saw!"

Krycek attempted to pull away, but Mulder tightened his hold on the other man.

"Tell me what you think you just saw."

"God. Oh, God, stop!" Scully whined, shaking her hands. "Let him go! Dammit, Mulder, stop it! It's true, oh damn, damn, it's truuuue..."

"You mean you suspected?"

"Jesus, Mulder, who *didn't* suspect? You two have been fused together since that day at your apartment. Is that when this..." The redhead waved her hand in their direction. "...this *thing* started?"

"No." Mulder looked to Krycek, who returned his tender smile. "I mean...I guess that's when we really realized that we were attracted to each other..."

Krycek nodded his agreement.

"I guess we probably did a good amount of flirting, but we'd never really confronted it head on till just now."

"You mean you'd never...never..."

"Kissed?" Mulder brushed his thumb across Krycek's mouth. "No. Not till just now. And you know what?" He was speaking directly to the younger man, now. "I want to do it again."

Scully covered her eyes and turned moaning from the scene as Mulder drew in for another kiss. Her vision was blocked, but she could do nothing about hearing the soft, rapturous groan that Krycek emitted as the older man fed gently on his mouth.

"I can't believe this, I can *not* believe this." Gathering her courage, Scully turned around to find the two men wrapped tightly in each other's arms, kissing like there was no tomorrow. Her eyes snapped shut again, and she suppressed a violent shudder.

"Mulder, please. *Please*."

Reluctantly, Mulder pulled away from the other man's warm mouth, and he cast a hazy glance in Scully's direction.

"Please what?"

"Please stop this. It's...it's just the circumstances, that's all. You don't really want..."

"Oh yeah," Mulder countered gruffly. "Oh yeah, I really want." He grasped a handful of sable hair and refastened his mouth on Krycek's, pulling another lustful moan from the younger man.

"Mulder, pleeeease, everyone is waiting for you..."

Once more, the men broke their kiss and looked in Scully's direction.

"This isn't going to go away, Scully," Mulder said firmly. "Do you understand that? Can you live with it?"

"Do I have a choice?" Scully sighed, looking from one man to the other. "You're going to do what you want to do no matter what *I* think, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. But I'd like to know that you were behind me."

"You know I'm behind you, Mulder. I'll probably have my eyes closed the whole time, but..."

Mulder snorted.

"...My mother's going to be shattered, though. She really was kind of hoping you'd turn me into an honest woman."

Mulder cocked his head. "Does she believe that this baby is mine, too?"

"She knows what I told her. Whether or not she believes it is another story."

"I'm s...I'm sorry, Scully. Maybe in another place and time. Maybe if things were different, I could..."

Scully held up her hand. "Don't say it. It's okay, Mulder. Married or not, you'll still probably be the closest thing this child has to a father..." She looked to Krycek. "If that's okay..."

Mulder looked to the man who still rested in his embrace. Krycek gave him a warm smile then turned to face Scully.

"I wouldn't stand in the way of your baby having a father figure in his life." He caressed the older man's arm. "You couldn't ask for a better one than him."

Mulder turned Krycek's face to his and laid a long, sweet kiss on his mouth, prompting another groan from Scully.

"Must you?"

"You gotta get used to it, Scully."

"I know, I know," the redhead whined. "It's just going to be difficult." She let out a hard sigh. "We really should get back now."

Tucking herself between the two men to keep them apart and avoid embarrassment, Scully started back toward the entrance. Minutes later, they had caught up to the rest of what was left of their group, and they headed for the rides.

"So, who's up for the Mind Eraser?" Langly asked, immediately gaining an enthusiastic response from only one other.

"We're in," Krycek responded, grinning in Mulder's direction.

"Wait a minute, hold on," Mulder stalled. "Langly, you want to go on that thing?"

"Hell yeah, dude! Don't you?"

"Not exactly. Alex, why don't you go with Langly, since you're both so interested?"

"Oh, no, you don't," Krycek growled, grasping Mulder's hand and tugging him toward the line for the ride. "You said you'd go on it with me after our lunch settled."

"I don't think mine has quite settled yet."

"Bull. You're just chicken. Let's go."

Doggett stared at the men's joined hands, for long moments speechless, then his voice returned.

"Am I seeing Mulder an' Krycek holdin' hands?"

"Yes," Scully moaned, looking down at the ground.

"I thought so. Jesus, Agent Scully, what the hell went on while you three were gone?"

"Yeah, do tell," Langly added, folding his arms across his chest. "What'd you see, Scully, while you *weren't* spying on them?"

"They don't seem to be too anxious to keep it a secret, so...I found them at the van...kissing."

The whole group stared in silence.

"They're apparently majorly attracted to each other," Scully sighed.

"Well," Reyes smiled, watching the two men argue as Krycek steadily led Mulder up toward the gate, "they do make an adorable couple."

"What?" Byers coughed. "Adorable?"

"Does handsome sound better to you?" Reyes asked. "Because they sure are that."

Byers fell silent, not knowing what the hell to say.

"Hey, we knew it," Langly informed his companions. "We could see it coming. The fact that it's here should be of no big surprise to anybody."

Skinner watched quietly as Mulder stopped arguing with Krycek and submitted to a stunning kiss, right there in front of everyone in line. Jealousy bubbled inside him as he saw the younger man take Mulder's hand and lead him past the gate and out of sight. And his jeans grew tight as he imagined himself and Doggett in the younger men's shoes, kissing and caressing, oblivious to everything and everyone around them. Before he could stop himself, he pivoted and backed up a step, looking Doggett straight in the eye.

"What d'you say, John? We're not too old for a thrill, are we?"

The five remaining people groaned softly at the double entendre, and the one for whom it was meant, shrugged indifferently.

"Yeah, sure, why not?" Doggett turned to the rest. "Anybody else wanna lose their lunch?"

"*Yeah*, *me*," Langly stressed, stepping forward and looking at the rest. "Okay, Scully, you're out. Frohike...I don't think you'd make the height requirement..."

The short man flipped him off.

"Byers?"

"Nooo, I don't think so."

"How'd I know? Okay, Reyes. How about you?"

"Sure, I'm game," the brunette said, surprising him.

Scully and the other two men stood watching as the couples made for the gate, then looked up at the ride, which had already started moving.

"They are out of their minds," Byers commented as the thing really got going, and the screaming began. Who would want to put themselves through that?"

"Me," Scully droned, mesmerized by the blinding speed of the ride. "If I wasn't pregnant, I'd be up there."

"Really?"

"Oh, yeah. In a heartbeat."

Minutes later, the screaming stopped, and the ride glided to a halt. Scores of dizzy, laughing people staggered out past the exit gate, and somewhere in the middle of the crowd, Mulder and Krycek appeared, stumbling toward their friends.

"How was it?" Byers asked.

"Way cool," Krycek grinned then looked up at the line. "Hey, come on, Mulder, let's go on again."

"Are you insane?" Mulder asked, wide eyed. I think I left parts of me back there. *Important* parts."

Krycek gave the older man an impish grin. "Then lets go find them."

"You look." Mulder sat down on the nearest bench, dropping his head between his knees. "I'll be right here when you get back."

Pulling up courage he had no idea he had, Byers stepped forward.

"You know, maybe I...I guess I could give it a try...if you don't mind being seen with a geek."

A bright smile lit Krycek's face, and he slapped the bearded man on the back, sending him stumbling forward.

"I like you, Byers. You got balls. Let's go."

Mulder watched the man who would tonight, undoubtedly become his lover, jog up to the ride entrance with Byers following in his wake, and he smiled.

He and Alex. Lovers.

Goddamn.

"God, Mulder, wipe that grin off your face, you look like a lovesick moose."

"Can't stop smiling, Scully. This trip has done so much more than I could have imagined."

"Yeah. It's softened your brain."

The seated man snorted then rose to his still shaky feet.

"Damn, that ride is outrageous. I can't believe he wanted to go on again." Looking around, Mulder spotted what he wanted and teetered off in that direction.

"Where are you going?" Scully called.

"Cotton candy." Mulder turned and held up a hand. "I know, I know, you want some."

Scully watched as her best friend stopped in front of the machine and spoke with the vendor.

"Look at him," she mumbled to Frohike. "He's grinning like a damn fool."

"A damn *happy* fool."

"Yeah," the woman sighed. "There's no denying that. It's just hard to wrap my mind around, you know? Alex Krycek has always had his place in our lives...traitorous, murdering cheat. That was it. Now he's what? God. Mulder's lover?"

Frohike looked up at the woman, a panicked expression on his face.

"Aww, damn, Scully, don't tell me they...ewww, they didn't do it in our van, did they?"

"Relax, Frohike, they were just kissing."

"Well, you said they were lovers..."

"Yeah, well, you don't think they're *not* going to end up doing it, do you?"

The diminutive man shuddered. "No, I guess not."

"What don't you guess?" Mulder asked, approaching his two companions from behind.

"That you and Krycek won't be doing the horizontal mambo by the time this night's over."

"Geez, Frohike!" Scully covered her eyes with one hand and bowed her head.

Mulder broke into laughter, nudging Scully and handing her one of the two paper cones he held.

"I was actually thinking about that myself..."

"Ohhhhh," Scully groaned, turning her head.

Mulder sat down next to Frohike, his expression serious.

"Do you think it's wrong to expect a little nookie on the first date; even though we're both guys?" He stared off into space. "I don't know if it would be different. You know how horny we men are..." He sighed heavily. "Should I make the first move? Or should I let him? What do you think, Frohike?"

"Uhhhh..."

"Mulder, gimme a break here, okay?" Scully pleaded, interrupting a grateful Frohike's answer.

"What?" Mulder asked, innocently. "He started it."

"Yeah, but I'm sure he didn't really think you'd want to get into details."

Mulder lifted one shoulder and let it drop then, looking toward the Mind Eraser's exit gate, he smiled. Krycek was moving toward them, holding up a frazzled Byers, and behind them wobbled the others.

"That has got to be the most hair raising ride I've ever been on," Doggett muttered, trying to keep himself upright.

"Yeah, wasn't it cool?" Langly fell onto the bench, ginning from ear to ear.

"God, it was terrifying," Byers puffed, trying to catch what was left of his breath. Krycek dropped him down next to Langly, chuckling.

"Well, I give you credit for trying it." His gaze fell to Mulder, and a tiny smile curved his lips. "What's that?"

"What's it look like?" Mulder rose from his seat and held the cotton candy out in offering. When Krycek just stood there smirking at him, he plucked a wisp of blue from the mass he held, and aimed it at the younger man's mouth.

Eyes never leaving Mulder's face, Krycek parted his lips and took the cotton candy inside, making sure he trapped the tips of the other man's fingers as well.

Mulder's eyelids drooped, and his respiration deepened noticeably as the younger man licked and sucked the stickiness away from his fingers. When Krycek finally released him, he tore another bit of the candy away, knowing with all certainty that if he offered more to the other man, his fingers would receive the very same erotic treatment.

Krycek did not disappoint. He closed his hand around the older man's wrist and pulled the offering closer, sucking away every bit of sweetness. And even after it was all gone, he continued to tease Mulder's fingers, his eyes closed in carnal bliss as he thoroughly cleaned each digit.

Skinner forced his gaping jaw shut, and he swallowed down the huge lump that had formed in his throat as he watched the very public exhibit of foreplay. He glanced out of the corner of his eye to Doggett, who had discreetly turned away, trying for all the world to make it look like he hadn't noticed.

But continued oblivion was not to be as a horrified wail reached everyone's ears.

"*What* in heaven's name is going on here?"

Margaret Scully moved in, followed by a fuming Marita Covarubias. Wide blue eyes turned to Scully, pleading for the redhead to make some kind of sense of it.

"*Dana*. What is this?"

Chuckling softly, Krycek leaned in, whispering into Scully's ear.

"Loooocy, you got some 'splainin' to do."

Scully swatted Krycek away and turned to her mother. "*Me*? Why me?" Her eyebrows drew down into a stubborn frown, and she pointed at the sinners. "*They're* the ones you should be talking to, not me!"

"They're *your* friends. These are the people you hang around with!"

"I don't hang around with *Krycek*..."

While Scully and her mother argued, Marita sidled up to Krycek, hissing softly at him.

"You work fast." She give him a steely gaze. "Don't think you've won."

"How could I have won," Krycek asked sweetly, "when there was never anyone else in the running?"

"Are you two fighting again?" Mulder asked, coming up behind Krycek and winding his arms around the younger man's waist.

"Nooo," Krycek answered, turning in Mulder's arms and tucking his head beneath the other man's chin. He smirked at Marita, who was currently digging her nails into her palms, then lifted his head and fastened his mouth onto Mulder's, easily distracting his attention from the infuriated blonde.

"Stop! Stop that this minute!"

Krycek groaned impatiently and released Mulder from their kiss. "Look," he grated, turning to face Mrs. Scully. "*Lady*..." Before he could continue, Margaret Scully cut him off, screaming at Mulder.

"*Fox*! What has this man done to you?"

"Put a big ass smile on his face," Krycek came back, "and a spring in his shorts," he purred, rubbing a hand over Mulder's upper thigh. "Right, *Fox*?"

The rest of the group stood speechless, watching the exchange.

"You are *so* bad," Mulder muttered to the younger man through his teeth then looked to the appalled woman.

"Mrs. Scully, I understand you're shocked. But truthfully, ma'am, it isn't any of your concern."

"Morality is *everyone's* concern. Or at least it should be. Don't you realize that this is the worst kind of sin?"

"I can think of much worse," Krycek deadpanned. "Wanna hear some?"

"You're a horrible person," Mrs. Scully wailed. "You've corrupted what was a very nice, respectable man. Dana," she whispered harshly. "How can you stand by and let this happen?"

"What choice have I got?" Scully asked. "I don't run Mulder's life. He's a grown man perfectly capable of making his own choices."

"Thank you, Scully," Mulder said, pleased that his friend would stand up for him.

"Even if his choices really suck."

"Thanks, Scully," he said again, not nearly as happy this time.

Quiet up till now, Doggett stepped forward and prepared to speak.

"May I say somethin'?"

Krycek shrugged. "Sure, go right ahead, Dilbert."

"Dogdoo," Mulder corrected.

"*Dogbert*....*shit*!" Skinner yelled. "*Doggett*!" He looked apologetically to the other man. "Sorry...I'm sorry, John..."

Doggett gave Skinner an odd look, nodded, then turned his attention back to Mrs. Scully.

"Agent Mulder's tryin' to do somethin' for us here. Least we can do is give him a little respect. I mean, what's he doin' that's so bad?"

Skinner perked up.

"Who's he hurtin'? I mean, besides himself with a man who in my humble opinion is a crummy choice of a partner..."

Krycek glared at Doggett.

"With all due respect, ma'am, nobody's got any business readin' Mulder the riot act. Not you or anybody else."

"It's a sin against God and nature," Mrs. Scully argued. "Surely you can't think this is right!"

Doggett stared silently at the woman, saying nothing. She turned to Skinner.

"I know a fine man like *you* can't." She looked around curiously as a few members of the group tried in vain to suppress their giggles.

"Mrs. Scully, I..." Skinner began then fell silent, not knowing what to say.

"Come on, Wally, show us your cojones," Krycek needled the A.D. "Tell Mother Theresa here the truth about your feelings on the subject."

Skinner looked from amused, green eyes to the curious gaze of the man beside him.

"I think...I just think that everyone's got a right to live their lives the way they see fit. I don't condemn anyone for their personal choices."

Krycek gave Skinner a thumbs up. "Yeah, Walt. That's tellin' her. Good job."

"Shut up, Krycek," the older man growled. "You're lucky you got *that* much."

"Yeah, I guess we were at that. I don't even know why I should give a shit. *I'm* happy. If you're not, it's your problem."

"What the hell are you gettin' at, Krycek," an inquisitive Doggett asked.

The younger man grinned at Skinner. "Ask Wally." He took Mulder's hand and tugged. "C'mon. All this self-righteous, bible thumping, hand wringing, denial bullshit is getting boring."

And with that, the two men walked away, leaving the others standing together in silence.

"I like him," Reyes finally spoke up, turning several pairs of wide eyes in her direction. "Okay, he's a little...abrasive...but he tells it like it is. If we were all so honest, we might be happier people."

"The words honesty and Alex Krycek don't exactly go together," Skinner snorted, looking away.

"Maybe they do now," Doggett suggested, gaining the older man's attention. "And maybe we should all think about followin' his example."

"Really?" Skinner asked, hope surging.

"Yeah," Doggett answered, looking to Scully. "Really."

The A.D. stood quietly, gathering up his courage as the rest watched curiously.

"Johnwouldyougoforawalkwithme?" Skinner spat out quickly before he could stumble over his words.

"Hmm? Oh, uh...I uh...was just about to ask Agent Scully that same thing."

Spectacled eyes turned to Scully then looked down at the ground.

"Oh. O...Okay."

"Me?" Scully asked, popping the last of her cotton candy into her mouth.

"Yeah." Doggett gave her a thin lipped smile. "What d'you say, Agent Scully? Just maybe to the carousel and back? I'll see if I can find you a snowcone cart along the way."

"Oh, I haven't had a blueberry snowcone in ages."

"Great. Come on, I'll find you one."

Skinner followed a few steps in their wake and watched, crestfallen as Scully strolled away with first man he'd been genuinely interested in, in ages. A pat on the shoulder brought his attention back.

"Sorry 'bout that, man."

Skinner squared his shoulders and peered sharply at Langly.

"Sorry about what?"

"You know."

"I have no idea."

The blonde shook his head. "Krycek was right, you know."

"What?"

"I know, I know, I can't believe I'm saying it. But he was right. You need to be honest. If with no one else, then yourself at least."

Skinner lowered his head. "I just tried," he admitted grudgingly. "You see where it got me."

"Yeah, I see. I also see that you haven't made yourself clear. You're acting like a prepubescent kid in love with his math teacher. You're Walter *freakin'* Skinner! Assistant Director of the FBI. Remember that guy? Large in charge...cooler than Buffalo in the winter. *That's* the guy old Dogpoo needs to see."

The older man squinted at Langly. "You think? I don't...I don't know. He drives a pickup truck for God's sake."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"He's a manly man, you know? Like a skinny Chuck Bronson."

Langly rolled his eyes.

"I just mean that he's not a pretty boy like Mulder. I'm not calling Mulder a sissy by any means, but he's definitely more of a chameleon. I can *see* him as a submissive as well as a dominant. I really don't think John's that...flexible."

"And so you're trying to be?"

Skinner looked down at his shoes and said nothing.

"It's not *you*, man. Stop buying into that kinder gentler sap bullshit that 'he's' turned you onto. All it does is make you look weak. Maybe that works for Doggonit if it's a woman acting that way, but you ever think he might like his men strong?"

"Ever think he might not like men at all?" Skinner countered. "That's the way it's beginning to look," he mumbled dejectedly, staring off in the direction that Doggett and Scully had gone.

"Thank you for takin' the time to talk to me," Doggett said to the woman beside him as he handed her the blueberry snowcone he'd just purchased.

"Sure." Scully held up the cup of crushed ice. "And thanks for this. So, what did you want to talk about?"

"This is very difficult. I'm not really the type to discuss anything so personal, but well....Mulder and Krycek...they've got some cast iron...uh...they've got a lot of guts. Doin' what they're doin' in public...and in front their *friends*. I really do admire that."

"Yeah, Mulder never was one to give a damn about what anyone thought of him. That's why he lasted so long on the X-files. And Krycek...well, he's Krycek. What more can be said about him?"

"Well, as I said, I didn't think he was the best choice Mulder could have made, but hey. When it comes down to brass tacks, it's Mulder's life."

"Yep. So why'd you want to talk to me about it?"

"It's not so much that I want to talk about them as it is..." Doggett stopped and averted his eyes for a moment, then looked back at Scully. "...Skinner...Walter."

"Oh."

Doggett cocked his head and squinted at the woman.

"What?"

"What, what?"

"The way you said oh. Like you know something."

Scully sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "God, Doggett, *everybody* seems to know it but you."

"Know what?"

"Skinner's wild about you!" Scully blurted out then dropped her head. "Jesus, he's gonna kill me.

Pale blue eyes blinked at her. "Skinner's..."

//Ah, fuck it. I've gone this far.//

"*Yes* Wild. Gaga. Head over heels. Christ, Doggett, how can you not know? He follows you around...hangs on every word you say. He looks at you with these big old puppy dog eyes. It's..." She shuddered. "*Pathetic*."

Doggett scratched at his head then clamped his fingers over the back of his neck.

"Are you sure?"

"Am I *sure*? Do you need someone else to tell it to you? 'Cause we can go back over there right now and get at least four other people to tell you the same thing."

Doggett's eyes closed and he lowered his head.

"God. Ah, damn."

"Be gentle with him, okay?" Scully pleaded. "He's been so sensitive lately. Please find a way to let him down easy..."

"Let him down?" Doggett's head snapped up, and he stared hard at the redhead. "Who said anything about lettin' him down?"

Scully's mouth dropped open.

"I just...I...I..." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "You're interested in him?"

"That's what I brought you over here to talk to you about. I guess I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts about him to see how he felt. I mean, God, I never would have imagined that he'd...well...you know..."

"Yeah. I know." Scully shook her head. "You must be one hell of a poker player."

"What d'you mean?"

"Whether or not he was trying to be, at least Skinner was obvious about it. You never let on for a second."

Doggett shrugged. "I guess I kinda do play it close to the vest. That's just me. I don't wear my heart on my sleeve."

"Whatever. Look. Get back over there and talk to him. Even if you don't want anyone else to know, tell *him*. *Please*."

"You really think I should?"

"*Yes*. God, *yes*!" Scully hooked her arm through Doggett's and towed him back toward the group. As they approached, she shoved him at Skinner. Both men tossed her a surprised look as Doggett practically fell into the older man's arms.

"I believe you two have things to discuss."

Skinner stared wide-eyed at Doggett, who straightened himself up and cleared his throat.

"Yeah. Uh...she's right. We...we do."

"Like what?" Skinner asked, breathlessly, afraid of whatever it was the other man had to tell him, but Scully gave him a tiny smile and a wink, and suddenly he was afraid for an entirely different reason.

"Privately, okay?"

Skinner nodded. "Yeah. Okay." He followed Doggett away from the group, and Scully watched as they walked together, smiling at the good she hoped she'd just done.

"Dana?" Margaret Scully approached her daughter from behind. "Dana, what's that all about?"

Scully broke into laughter, beaming at her mother.

"Believe me, Mom, you don't want to know."

The two men walked side by side, enjoying the occasional brush of an arm or thigh. Krycek tossed his clean paper cone into the next trash barrel they passed and licked his fingers.

"That was good. Thanks."

Mulder smiled at him and nudged his shoulder.

"And you didn't even worry about looking like a geek after a while."

Krycek returned the smile and looked around, deciding which ride he wanted to try out next.

"Hey. Let's go on that one," he said, pointing at an evil looking ride called Death from Above.

"Uh, maybe later, okay?"

"That means no."

"No, no," Mulder insisted none too convincingly. "It just means that I'm not quite ready for anything that intense." He stopped walking and grinned at the younger man. "Besides, it's my turn to pick a ride."

Krycek folded his arms across his chest, the right side of his mouth slanted up into a wry smirk. "Okay, fair enough. What's your choice?"

"Something nice and slow and smooth and relaxing."

One sable eyebrow arched.

"Yeah? And what would that be?"

"Ferris wheel. I loved it as a kid."

"Bor-ing."

"How would you know? You said you'd never been to a carnival before."

"I haven't. But I'm not blind. We passed it earlier and I was watching the looks on the faces of the people on it. They looked bored out of their skulls."

"They weren't bored, they were relaxed. There's a difference."

"Uh huh."

Mulder shifted around, coming to stand directly in front of Krycek.

"C'mon, Alex," he purred, nuzzling the younger man's jaw. "It's only fair."

"That's something I've never been accused of being," Krycek shot back, groaning at the jolt of pleasure that sizzled through him.

"First time for everything," Mulder countered, pressing intimately against the younger man.

Krycek chuckled softly, running a hand up and down Mulder's back.

"Using my own tactics against me?"

"Mm hmm." Mulder licked the stubbled underside of Krycek's chin.

"Sneaky boy. I admire that in a person. Okay, so we'll go on the stupid ferris wheel."

The pair sauntered over to the line, falling in behind an elderly couple. The woman turned around and, offering the handsome young men a kindly smile, decided to strike up a conversation.

"Goodness, I didn't think anyone young went in for these types of rides."

"Neither did I," Krycek mumbled under his breath then gave the woman a smile that would bring out the mother in any woman over sixty and the slut in anyone younger. "I wanted to go on something a little faster, but my friend here is a bit of a chicken."

"Oh." The woman turned her attention to Mulder, who was currently glaring at his companion. "That's all right, dear. Some of these rides look pretty frightening. You know, my youngest boy Andrew was afraid too. Poor darling, the other children always teased him so. But I always told him that his true friends wouldn't care whether he was a sissy or not..."

Mulder listened to the woman go on, all the while planning ways to pay Krycek back. Finally, the line began to move, and the woman's husband took her by the arm and, with a smile of apology to the two men, led her into one of the seats at the bottom of the wheel. Once they were secured, the ride shifted in a counter clockwise motion, moving just far enough for the next seat to come in line with the ground.

"Oh boy, oh, boy," Krycek grinned, taking his seat and nudging Mulder. "I'm sooo excited."

Mulder cut the younger man a dirty look and said nothing.

"Aww, you're not mad at me, are you?" Krycek asked, pouting at the other man. "I was just having a little fun."

Mulder snorted.

"Ah, shit." Krycek draped his arm across the back of the seat and leaned in brushing his lips over Mulder's cheek. "Come on, Mulder, don't sulk...though you are damn pretty when you do..."

"You're a fucking punk, you know it?"

"Yeah, I know it. Thought it was one of the things that made you want to fuck me blind."

"Who said I wanted to?"

Careless shrug. "No one."

"All right then..."

"But no one *had* to. You have very expressive eyes, did you know that? And that bulge in your jeans is a dead giveaway."

"I'm a guy, Krycek. A good stiff breeze'll give me a hard-on."

"Mmm hmm. And do you kiss everyone you don't want to fuck the way you kissed me?"

Krycek watched the beginnings of a smile twitch at the corners of Mulder's lips, and he moved in, licking the pouty flesh.

"I never knew anybody who kissed like you do," the younger man whispered, stroking Mulder's thigh.

"And you never will."

There was a hint of possessiveness in that remark, and the tone of it sent a succession of warm tingles coursing along Krycek's nerves.

"You seem awfully sure..."

The younger man paused in the middle of his statement as he looked around to find that they were now halfway between the ground and the top of the ferris wheel, and he froze.

"Krycek?" Mulder called, noting the look on the other's face. "Hey...Alex. You okay?"

"Shit," Krycek whispered and closed his eyes.

"What?" Mulder looked around, also noticing that they had moved quite a bit during their little flirtation. He turned back to look at Krycek and saw definite fear etched in the younger man's taut features. "Alex, are you afraid of heights?"

"...No."

A slow, wide grin spread across Mulder's face. "Yes, you are. You're afraid of heights!" He threw his head back and laughed. "I can't believe it! Big, bad Alex Krycek is..."

"All *right*," Krycek hissed without opening his eyes. "I don't like being this high up in something this open," he explained in a low voice.

"So then why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have made you get on if I'd known."

"Didn't....I didn't really think about it. I never used to dislike open heights."

"You mean *fear* open heights."

Krycek refused to address the correction. "Anyway, it never bothered me until that day you'd cuffed me to Skinner's balcony, and I was forced to hang over the side when what's his face showed up. After I'd made it back over and had come down from the adrenaline high, I shook for hours. I..." He opened his eyes and glanced over the side of the car then quickly turned away. "...I chalked it up to the severity of the situation, and I forgot about it...till just now."

The wheel moved another two positions before Mulder responded.

"I never really viewed you as a man with weaknesses."

"Sorry."

"For what?"

"Shattering your image of me. I'd ask you if you just wanted to stop this now and walk away, but we're a little too high up for that. Guess you're stuck with me for a little while."

"Walk away? You think I'd do that just because you're afraid of heights? Gimme a break, Alex. All the shit you've pulled over the years, and I can't stop myself from wanting you. What makes you think that something as trivial as this would change my mind about you?"

No answer.

Mulder slipped an arm around Krycek and pulled him close. The sable head automatically came to rest on his shoulder, and he felt the younger man relax a fraction.

"We're moving back toward the ground now. When we get there, I'll get the guy to let us off."

"...No. No, don't."

"Don't? Why not? I can feel you shaking."

"Gotta face it. I hate not feeling in control."

"Don't be stupid. There's no need to put yourself through this."

"No need that you can see," Krycek answered, lifting his head a little. "But I feel differently about it. I'm staying."

Mulder studied the other man for a number of seconds before shaking his head and lowered the dark head back to his shoulder.

"You're a lunatic. But I guess I understand. Okay, just get comfortable. Close your eyes if you want to, but I think it might be worse if you do. You're liable to get awfully dizzy."

"Great," Krycek breathed. "I gotta think of something to at least take my mind off of it a little...talk to me, okay?"

"About what?"

"I don't know. Anything."

"You're not going to concentrate on anything I say."

"Sure I will. I love the sound of your voice."

"You do?"

Krycek nodded.

Mulder rewarded the other man with a kiss on the crown of his head.

"That's nice, but really, I think I have a better idea. Take off your jacket."

"Huh?"

"Take off your jacket."

"But that means I'll have to move."

"I'll help."

With as little movement as possible, Mulder assisted Krycek out of his jacket and draped it across the younger man's lap. He then tilted Krycek's head up and pulled him into a deep kiss. The ride had been filled and it had started on its slow spin by the time Mulder decided he'd release his lover's mouth, and he smiled down into liquid emerald eyes.

"Feeling okay?"

Krycek nodded silently, pulling the other man back down to his waiting lips, and when Mulder's hand slipped beneath the jacket and began to lightly pet his denim-covered crotch, he nearly died.

"Jesus," he panted, breaking from the hungry kiss. "What the hell are you..." He choked on his last word as Mulder went to work on the button then the zipper.

"Keeping your mind off of where you are," the older man murmured, working his hand in past the only barrier and coming in contact with the velvety, hot length of Krycek's cock. "You don't wear underwear, Alex? Or was this special just for me?"

"How the hell would I know that you were going to jerk me off on a ferris wheel?" Krycek gasped as Mulder's fingers closed around the width of his erection.

"You seem to know everything else," Mulder teased. "Why not this?"

"Fuck you."

"I'll let you do that later. But for now, just shut up and enjoy the ride."

//Jesus fucking Christ. Which one of us is the bad one?// Krycek thought to himself before Mulder's mouth again found his, and the hand that had been lazily stroking him up till now began a firmer, more insistent motion...

"S-so. Uh...wh-what did you want to talk to me about?" Skinner asked the ground as he and Doggett walked slowly along.

"Apparently I'm a blind idiot," Doggett informed the older man.

"What d'you mean?"

"I asked to talk with Agent Scully about...you. And...and me."

"...What about?"

"Don't...um, don't get mad at her or anything, but she told me that you were...well, that you were interested in me."

Skinner's eyes dropped quickly to the ground, and a look of sheer panic washed his features.

"And uh...uh..." Doggett stammered. "I uh...I told her that I was interested in you."

Skinner looked up so fast, he almost gave himself whiplash.

//He said it. Oh my God, he actually said it...now what?//

//What d'you *mean*, now what? Jump him!//

//I can't do that! We gotta *talk* first. We gotta discuss...//

"Shut the fuck up."

"But I didn't say..."

Doggett's words were cut off as was most of his breath as Skinner barreled forward, clamping his arms around the other's slim waist, and zeroing in on his mouth.

Temporarily frozen with shock, Doggett stood stiffly, afraid to move. But the feel of Skinner's mouth on his, and the vice-like embrace he'd trapped him in, coaxed him to react.

Skinner nearly jumped out of his skin with joy when he felt Doggett's arms wind around him, and the younger man return the kiss. He pulled away just long enough to tip his head into a more comfortable position then attempted to launch another attack.

Doggett winced as first their noses clashed, then their teeth clanked together. Skinner's mumbled apology just barely made it past the thunder that sounded in his head, and he nodded absently before trying again.

The two men kissed and groped each other clumsily, completely unaware that they were being watched by several pairs of disbelieving eyes.

"Oh, man, this is pathetic," Frohike groaned, shaking his head at the awkward scene.

"It's sweet," Reyes countered, immediately. "Weren't you ever a bit clumsy with a person you were really wild about?"

"He'll let you know as soon as someone lets him get close enough to touch them," Langly droned.

"Kiss my..."

"Would you two shut up," Scully warned, waving at the men. "No matter how..." She shuddered for emphasis."...gruesome it is, they're our friends."

"Dogbreath is *your* friend," Frohike corrected. "I never wanted anything to do with him."

"He's a good man. And he'll be good for Skinner. And..." Scully stopped in mid-sentence, realizing that something was not right. She looked around and found her mother on a bench, head down, rocking back and forth. Her hands worked feverishly over a small string of beads, and closer inspection by Scully revealed the rosary that she always carried in her purse.

"Mom, what are you doing?"

Without missing a beat, Mrs. Scully answered.

"Praying for these sinners, that they might yet be redeemed."

"Oh, Mom, knock it off. They don't *want* to be redeemed."

"All the more reason to pray for them."

"Oh, brother. Yeah. Okay, Mom, you sit here and pray, all right? I'm gonna go have some fun."

"I'll pray for you too, Dana," Mrs. Scully called as her daughter waddled away.

"She's praying for everyone," Scully said as she approached the rest of the group, answering the question before it could be asked. "Hey..." She looked around. "...where'd they go?"

"We don't know," Byers answered. "They stopped fumbling for a few minutes, talked about something, then walked away."

"Hmm. They probably went to find someplace more private. Now." Scully folded her arms over her chest and looked around."Where the hell are Mulder and Krycek?"

Krycek squirmed against Mulder's shoulder, now completely oblivious to the fact that he was traveling a hundred feet in the air, suspended from a metal wheel by nothing more than a few bolts and cables. The sounds he made as Mulder's hand worked beneath his jacket resonated in every area of the older man's body, heating his blood and hardening his cock almost to the point of pain.

Though his own arousal was becoming harder and harder to deny, Mulder held himself in check, telling his aching body that relief would come tonight, and it would be all the sweeter for the wait. His gaze drifted momentarily from his lover's face to the ground below.

Not a single person's attention had been attracted, which truly surprised him, being that people were a nosy bunch in general. Well, whatever. It was good that...

There. Behind the moving land mass wearing wearing the Big Woody t-shirt and greasy red bandana. The blonde with the stony expression and icy gaze. If Alex knew she was watching, he'd probably put on a big show for her, so Mulder thought he'd just keep that little bit of information to himself.

They swept down toward the ground, and when they were on their way back up, Mulder decided it was best to bring it home. He leaned in, licking and nipping at Krycek's ear then whispered into it.

"You're beautiful like this," he told the overwhelmed man. "I can't wait to see you naked in my bed."

Krycek's mouth fell open on a heavy gasp, and his hips jerked, pushing his cock hardered into the fist that until now had been keeping him just on the edge of satisfaction.

"I want you to come for me now, Alex," Mulder moaned, pulling a few napkins out of his pocket as the hand around Krycek's cock moved faster. "I want to see you lose control."

No problem there. Krycek was already well on his way to meltdown, and nothing short of this accursed contraption crashing down around them could stop him.

"God," he whispered as the first tremors hit him. After that, the capacity for speech deserted him, and all he could do was whimper and sob softly as Mulder milked every drop from him.

Catching the warm fluid as it shot from Krycek's spasming cock, Mulder then folded the napkins in two, gently cleaned the head, then tucked Krycek back into his jeans. Moaning softly, the younger man slumped against him and went limp.

Krycek rubbed his face against Mulder's shoulder, feeling the other man's arm wind around him and a few brief kisses drop on his head. Then next thing he knew, they were being released from the seat, and Mulder was helping him to his feet.

"See?" A sweet, amused voice rumbled against Krycek's cheek. "Ferris wheels aren't so scary."

Before Krycek could answer, an extremely pissed off Marita appeared in front of them.

"Enjoying yourselves, boys?"

"Immensely," Krycek responded, wrapping himself tightly around Mulder and giving the woman a smug grin.

"Glad to hear it." Marita stepped forward and whispered to Krycek, "You won't be for long."

Mulder watched her spin on her heel and stalk off in the opposite direction, and he couldn't help but think that she was going someplace in particular.

"What'd she say to you?" he asked Krycek, who had since lifted his head from his shoulder.

"Ah, she's ticked off because she wants you, and I've got you. She'll get over it. Or not. I really don't give a shit."

Mulder sighed, looking off toward the direction that Marita had stomped. "This was supposed to be a fun, productive...healing kind of thing for everybody. No one was supposed to be mad or hurt."

"Yeah, well, things seldom turn out the way we plan or hope. But then..." Krycek pivoted, moving himself directly in front of Mulder. "...some things..." He wrapped his arms around the older man's neck and kissed a warm path along his jaw and up to his ear. "...go far better than we could have ever dreamed they would."

Mulder smiled and closed his eyes, tilting his head into the moist caress of his lover's mouth.

"They do, don't they?"

"Mmm hmm. Forget about that hag. I'd rather talk about what the hell you just did to me."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. You're a bad man, Fox Mulder."

"I am?"

"Oh yeah. I didn't think anybody had as much gall as I did. I'm very pleasantly surprised. We can have a good time, you and me."

Mulder wound his arms around the younger man's waist and rocked him from side to side while their mouths just barely brushed each other.

"Maybe we can."

Maybe....hmm. *Maybe* he wouldn't be waiting until tonight to relieve his screaming hard-on. The fun house was a nice, dark place...Mulder smirked at the possibilities.

"What are you thinking?" Krycek sang softly. "You've got this evil little glint in your eyes."

"I was just thinking about our next stop."

"It's *my* turn to pick one."

"Yeah," Mulder rasped, swaying his hips and making his desire known. "It's your turn. And you want to go to the fun house."

"I do?"

"You do."

"You know, you're right. I think I do."

Krycek grabbed Mulder's hand, and the two made a dash for their agreed destination, blowing by Scully and company without so much as a word.

"Hey!" Scully yelled, completely ignored. "Where the hell are you two going?"

"Forget it, Scully," Byers sighed. "They're not going to want any part of us now that they've *discovered* each other."

"At least they seem to be having a good time," Reyes smiled, watching the men disappear into the crowd. "So, come on," she slipped one arm through Frohike's and the other through Langly's. "Let's go have our own fun."

The group moved on, playing games and keeping Scully supplied with snacks, every so often speculating on whether or not Mrs. Scully was still praying on the bench where they'd left her, wondering where Marita had slithered off to, and whether Bill Scully had really left the grounds.

Two of those questions were answered at the same time when Langly caught sight of Scully's brother and Marita huddled together behind the fortune teller's tent, deep in conversation.

"Hey, Scully. There's your brother."

"Where?"

"You can't see him from where you are." Langly looked over at the redhead, who stood about eight feet away, burying her fried dough under a mountain of powdered sugar. "He's over there," he pointed. "Behind the...damn. Where'd he go?"

"He was there, and now he's not?"

"Yeah. He was with the uniblonder."

"Uni...Marita?"

"Ten-four."

"Why would my brother be skulking around with Marita Covarubias?"

The blonde shrugged. "Don't know. Maybe Mulder and Krycek and Skinner and Dogface aren't the only ones pitchin' a little woo around here."

"Don't be ridiculous, Langly," Scully scolded, walking toward him, brushing some sugar off of her chest. "My brother is married with a baby."

"And he's totally immune to an attractive woman's charms?"

"Why not? Mulder seems to be."

"Mulder's got a sexy boy toy wrapped around him. What's your brother got?" Reyes asked, smiling.

"My sister in law doesn't have to be present for Bill to remember that he's married."

Reyes held up her hands in a submissive gesture. "My mistake. Sorry, Agent Scully. You know your own brother. If you say he's a rock, then I guess he is."

Scully snorted and ripped into her fried dough.

"That's right. I don't know *what* Bill's doing with Marita, but you can be sure it's nothing even remotely sexual."

"...You're the only one who's been even remotely truthful to me," Billy Scully panted between kisses, his hands roaming over Marita's back and a bit beyond. "I knew there had to be more to that bastard than they were letting on..."

"I know where he is," the blonde purred against his mouth. "But he's with Mulder, so he won't be easy to get to. You have to be careful."

"That son of a bitch killed my sister. No amount of protection in the world is going to help him."

Marita pushed the man back and gave him a cryptic smile then looked in the direction of the fun house. "They're in there. Remember, you'll need to stay out of sight until you're ready..."

//Good one. Frankenstein's monster is going to stay out of sight. Uh huh....//

"They won't know I'm there until it's too late. Then that punk is going to get what's coming to him."

Marita pulled him down for one more kiss then pushed him away.

"Go now, before they come out."

"You'll wait here for me, and we can continue?" Bill Scully asked, eyeing the woman hungrily.

"Oh, yeah, you bet. I won't move." Marita shooed him away. "Go on. Good luck."

She stood watching the man lumber away and chuckled softly as she wiped the lingering sensation of his clumsy kisses away from her mouth.

//Well, there's a *chance* that he could do some damage before they rip him to bits...I guess. Either way it oughta throw a pretty big monkey wrench into Krycek's plans.//

The blackness swallowed the two men as they headed into the deepest recesses of the structure.

"Shit, I can't even see my hand in front of my face," Krycek whispered, clinging to Mulder's hand as the older man led the way.

"Right. So, if we're quiet, nobody'll know we're here."

Mulder stopped walking abruptly, causing a rear end collision with the other man.

"Jeez, Mulder, least you could do is give a little warning before you just stop like that."

"Sorry," Mulder murmured, reached out in front of him and feeling around, "but we've hit a corner here. I didn't have a whole lot of choice."

Krycek stood quietly for a moment, searching the blackness.

"Mulder..."

"Fox."

"Huh?"

"Mulder seems just a little formal for the guy who jerked you off not more than half an hour ago, don't you think?"

"Thought you hated Fox." Krycek shook his head. "Nevermind. There's somebody here."

"Uh, yeah, Alex. Me."

"I mean *besides* you, shithead. Can't you feel a presence?"

"Yeah, I can. *Yours*. And you're feeling mine."

"No. No, no."

Mulder heard the click of a weapon, and his breath caught in his throat.

"What the hell was..."

"That's me."

"Dammit, Alex, put that thing away before..."

"Oww! God*damn* it!"

"Who the hell was that?"

"*Me*."

Mulder's eyes widened as he looked in the direction from which the voice came.

"S...Skinner?"

"*Yeah*."

"What the...why the hell didn't you say anything when we first got here? And what are you *doing* here?"

"I'm being trampled on. Whoever's got your foot on my hand, get it the hell off!"

"Is that me?" Krycek asked, smirking and bearing down on his right foot.

"Ahh! Krycek!"

"Yeah, I guess that is me." Krycek lifted his foot and freed the A.D.'s hand. "Sorry, Wally."

"Like hell you are, you troublemaking slime."

Krycek broke into soft laughter.

"Doogie? Is that you?"

"It's *Doggett*."

Krycek's tone turned salacious. "Boys, what are you doing here all alone in the dark without a chaperone?"

"What are *you* doing here?"

"Well, Mul...Fox and I..."

"Thank you..."

"...were going to screw like a couple of crazed bunnies in heat, but you two sorta ruined that now, didn't you? Now. Answer *our* question. What are you doing here? You'd *better* say you're doing what we were going to do, because if you're here just holding hands or something stupid like that, we're going to have to kick your asses out."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yeah, that's so. You can't go around wasting a perfectly good dark corner like this..."

"Shh."

"Don't shush me while I'm threatening people," Krycek, whispered, reaching back to lightly strike Mulder's shoulder. "Now either you two..."

"Alex, shut up a minute, would you?" Mulder warned again. "I hear something."

All four men went dead silent as the commotion grew louder.

Screaming male and female voices off in the distance.

The sound grew in pitch and urgency, then faded quickly. The men scrambled to follow. Making their way out of the building, they found a large crowd forming just outside. And smack in the middle stood the two female Scullys, the Gunmen, Reyes, and Bill Scully flanked by two policemen. To their left stood an unidentified, hysterical young woman and an infuriated male. The only one absent, conspicuously so, was Marita Covarubias. Everyone was yelling and screaming at the same time, making it impossible to figure out what all the excitement was about.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Skinner asked through his teeth as he tucked his shirt into his jeans.

Krycek grinned, watching the mele'.

"Don't know, but we're missing it. C'mon."

As they neared, more of the shouting became discernible.

"He's a freakin' lunatic, and I want him arrested!"

"I *told* you, it was a mistake! I thought you were someone else!"

"You were trying to attack someone else?" the young man screamed. "Well, you must have been trying to kill them. Look at this!" he demanded, pointing to the female. "Her nose may be broken!"

"Sir, do you want to press charges?"

"Is that *not* what I've been saying?"

"No! Wait. Please wait." Margaret Scully pleaded, trying to calm the situation. "Please," she appealed to the couple. "He *said* it was a mistake. What if he took care of whatever medical expenses she incurred? Would that be satisfactory?"

"No, lady, that would *not* be satisfactory. *Look* at her!" He pointed again to the girl who was now being looked at by newly arrived EMTs. "I want this freak arrested!"

Watching from a distance of about fifteen feet, Krycek leaned against Mulder's back , laughing uncontrollably as the police slapped the cuffs on Bill Scully and began to pull him away from the crowd.

"You!" the male Scully roared as they passed the four men. "You son of a bitch!"

Krycek pointed at himself, giving the cuffed man an innocent, wide eyed look.

"I know what you did! I know! I'm gonna kill you, you bastard!"

"Bill!" Mrs. Scully and her daughter screamed in unison.

"He killed Melissa!" Bill shrieked, drawing the cops' attention to Krycek.

Scully stepped forward immediately, flashing her badge.

"The incident my brother is speaking of happened years ago, and the killer was identified. It was not this man. My brother has obviously been misled."

"All right," one of the officers answered. "But that has nothing to do with what he's done here."

"I think it does. If we can just go someplace quiet, and I can talk to my brother, I'm sure we can get this all straightened out." She looked to the young man. "Please? Let's just talk this out, and you'll see that it's all been an awful mistake."

"Yeah, lady, and he made it."

Now much calmer that the EMT's assured her that her nose was most likely only bruised, the young lady spoke.

"Jamie, let's go see what all this is about. It was dark in there, and it was easy enough, I guess, for this guy to think we were someone else. And if he thought that guy killed his sister...well, how crazed would *you* be?"

The man heaved a hard sigh.

"Fine. So we'll go and listen to this big story. *Then* I'll have his ass tossed in jail."

Refusing to stand and argue the point any further, Scully looked to the policemen.

"Can we go, please?"

"Okay, yeah, let's do that. Everybody," the officer called, "let's move it out."

Everyone involved moved together toward the security office, Scully catching Mulder's eye as she walked. He gave her a smile and a nod of thanks, receiving a typical Scully look of impatience.

When the crowd had broken up, the Gunmen and Reyes joined the others, looking for answers their companions didn't have.

"What the hell was that all about?" Frohike asked.

"You know as much as we do," Mulder replied, rubbing Krycek's back. "Apparently Bill was given a little misinformation..."

Krycek nodded, looking down at the ground. "It was pretty decent of Scully to step up like that and try and straighten things out."

"Yeah. She's a good friend."

"What I want to know is," Skinner cut in, "where'd he get the information?"

"I think I know," Langly answered, thinking back to when he saw Bill Scully with Marita.

All eyes looked expectantly at the blonde man.

"Marita. They had their heads together earlier, just before he disappeared and all hell broke loose."

"They did?"

"Yep. I knew something was going on, I just didn't know what."

Krycek tipped his head back and closed his eyes for a moment then looked around at his surroundings.

"I'll be right back, Fox."

"What...where are you going?"

"Going to go find a men's room."

"You want me to go with you?"

"No. No, you stay here with the others, and I'll be back in a few."

"Okay." Mulder stepped forward, sliding his fingers through his lover's hair and planting a soft kiss on his lips before releasing him. "I won't move. And when you get back, we can split up and look for that bitch and make her explain why the hell she did this."

Krycek answered the other man with a sweet smile before turning and walking away, leaving the others alone to discuss what had just happened.

"All this shit almost makes you wonder if 'he's' still not pulling the strings, doesn't it?" Langly asked, gaining an agreeing nod from some of the others.

"But he's not," Doggett replied. "We're living our own lives today. Just so happens that some of us attract insanity."

"That's most of us," Skinner answered softly, staring intently at the other man. "Can you deal with it?"

The right corner of Doggett's mouth slanted upward. "I guess I'll never be bored, that's for sure. That's a good thing."

"Oh, *God*." Frohike grimaced as the the older men fumbled their way through another kissing and groping session. "Must you?"

Skinner broke the kiss and scowled at the little man. "Don't *look* if you find it so offensive."

"It's not the act we find gruesome," Langly explained. "We're happenin' people. It's *you* two we have a hard time with."

Skinner planted his hands on his hips and glared at Langly. "What's *that* supposed to mean?"

"I don't know, man, it's just..." Langly made a face. "Icky."

"Icky." Skinner turned to the other man. "You hear that John? We're *icky*." He looked back at the others. "What about Mulder and Krycek? Are they icky too?"

"No," Frohike answered. "Even though Krycek is well...*Krycek*, for some reason they just kinda go together. They blend, they flow, they..."

"And we don't?"

"Uh...no. Maybe, you know, you just need some time. Just because Mulder and Krycek clicked right away doesn't mean that everyone has to. I'm sure that in a few weeks...decades, you two will look just as comfortable with each other."

"Thanks," Skinner sneered.

"He's sorta right."

Skinner spun around and peered at Doggett.

"What?"

Doggett shrugged. "He's kinda, sorta right. We *are* awkward. So what? So we're not as pretty to look at as Mulder and Krycek. Doesn't make any difference to me. How 'bout you?"

A slow, half smile curled Skinner's lips. "No." He walked back to Doggett, stopping when they were pressed together. "No, I don't give a damn what we look like to anyone else."

"Christ, there they go again," Langly whined, shielding his eyes and turning away.

"Stop it," Reyes chastised. "They're sweet."

"And you're a flake," Frohike accused.

"And you're a little troll!" Reyes shot back in retaliation.

"Okay, okay, knock it off," Byers stepped in, breaking up war of words before it could heat up any further.

"These are the people I wanted to save?" Mulder asked himself softly, shaking his head. His eyes scanned the area, looking to see if he could spot Krycek returning, but so far the younger man was nowhere in sight. Fifteen minutes and several bickering sessions later, he started to grow edgy and began looking around again.

"Considerin' the amount of people that are millin' around here, and the relatively small number of bathrooms that there must be, it's no surprise that he's takin' so long," Doggett offered, sitting down next to Mulder.

"Yeah," Mulder answered flatly, now staring straight ahead.

Skinner dropped down next to the slim man and immediately found Doggett's arm around his shoulders. He scooted closer, nestling into the other man's bony warmth.

"I'm sure he'll be back soon," he assured his former agent then fell silent, enjoying the closeness of his new agent.

Twenty minutes later, Mulder spotted the form of his lover moving with feline grace through the crowd, heading toward him. He rose to his feet, immediately pulling Krycek into his arms the moment the younger man reached him.

"Where the hell have you been?" he asked before giving the other a brief kiss.

"First restroom was out of order, so the next one I found had a line around the corner," Krycek explained smoothly. "Sorry. Were you worried?"

"Yeah. I was starting to think something had happened to you."

"Nah," Krycek blew the thought off. "I've got at least five lives left."

Mulder draped his arms over Krycek's shoulders, and the other man's arms encircled his waist.

"Yeah, well, hold on to them," Mulder instructed, kissing the tip of Krycek's nose then brushed his mouth before taking it in a deep kiss.

"See?" Langly pointed to the two who had so quickly immersed themselves in their own world. "Natural."

Skinner gave the skinny blonde a harsh glare then shifted his attention to Mulder and Krycek. Much as he hated to admit it, he supposed that the others were right. There was such and easy grace to their passion. It was as if they'd been lovers for ages. He wanted that with Doggett, but he guessed they'd just have to wait for it. And hope that it came.

"So, what d'you want to do now?" Mulder asked, pulling out of the kiss. "Since our fun house plans kinda got squashed."

"I don't know," Krycek murmured, resting his forehead on Mulder's shoulder. "You wanna just go home?"

"I was thinking that, but..." Mulder looked at his watch. "I don't think we should just yet. Another hour and a half maybe?"

"...Okay." Krycek lifted his head and gave the other man a repentant look. "Sorry today hasn't exactly gone the way you would have wanted."

"What d'you mean?"

"You know, this stuff with Scully's brother...Covarubias..."

"None of that is your fault."

Skinner snorted. "Of course it is. Krycek's probably at fault when your alarm clock fails to go off some mornings. He's probably got something to do with it when my toast burns even though the toaster is set on three..."

Mulder cast a malicious glare at the older man and tightened his arms around Krycek.

"Pay him no mind."

"Go ahead and ignore me. Those might be slight exaggerations, but you know what I'm saying. You're just letting lust blind you to who he is."

"I know who he is." Mulder looked to the man in his arms. "And I wouldn't change a thing about him...temper it a little maybe," he added softly, grinning before coming in for a ravenous kiss.

"Then you're crazier than I thought. But, it's your life. Do what you want."

"That's exactly what I'm doing," Mulder answered, his eyes jumped to everyone there. "And I'll continue to do what I want after we leave here. Remember everybody, this day was just to send a message. How we live tomorrow and every day after that is what's really important."

"What if you-know-who doesn't particularly love this decision we've made?" Frohike asked. "Which, he won't..."

"Tough shit," Krycek answered. "People do to you only what you allow them to do. We've *allowed* him to manipulate us all this time. You've got to make the decision that you're not going to allow it any more." He looked at Mulder, eyes glowing a deep green. "We have."

"Easy to say. But how about when someone else has other plans? He's probably working something out with Kersh as we speak."

"Kersh," Krycek snorted. "He's hardly worthy of concern."

"The man's a rotten s.o.b.," Doggett informed Krycek. "He's the coolest customer I've ever known."

"He's a perverted prick, and he can't touch any of us. Not without risking exposure."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Skinner asked.

"Mr. Big Deal Deputy Director likes to prance around in blonde wigs and women's underwear. Think he wants that little tidbit of info on the six o'clock news?"

"*What*?"

He grinned at the combined shout of dismay. "That's right, kiddies, and I've got pictures to prove it. They're not for the squeamish, so I'll only show them on request."

"Krycek," Doggett warned, "these are some pretty ugly accusations..."

"I said I could back 'em up, didn't I? He goes home, puts on a blonde wig, makeup, and women's underwear. Christ, the bra and panties even match. Sometimes he sleeps in them, but usually not. Either way, he always jerks off into the panties. Oh, and did I mention the orange high heels?"

"Oh, my God," Langly moaned. "I just got a mental picture of it. I think I'm gonna be sick."

"And is this the whim of our mutual friend?" Byers asked, disgusted by the story but convinced that it was true.

"Acually, no. It's Kersh's own little private perversion. "Well," Krycek smirked, "not *too* private. So, you see, not *everything* we do is his will."

"How about you, Krycek?"

Green eyes turned to Skinner. "How about me, what?"

"How much of it was him," Skinner asked suspiciously, "and how much of it was you?"

"*What* are you talking about?"

"You haven't done everything according to spec. Which is part of the reason we're all here in the first place. By your own admission, you've ignored orders when the mood struck you to, and gone ahead and done things your own way."

"Yeah," Krycek agreed. "That's very true."

"You were able to buck the orders. You *had* a mind to. So why stay in it at all? Why follow even one directive?"

"Because the rest of you mooks were still in. And somebody had to look out for you." He faced Mulder, lightly bumping foreheads, then pulled away. "And you. So I had to make it look like I was doing what I was told...most of the time."

"You call zapping me for kicks looking out for me?" Skinner snapped. "And what about killing Mulder's father?"

"I zap you because it's fun, Wally. Believe it or not, I'm a great lover of fun. As for Mulder's father...that was before I smartened up." Krycek glanced at Mulder to see his reaction at the mention of his father.

"Oh, you weren't always this brilliant?"

Krycek ignored the barb and continued to search the amber-flecked depths of the other man's eyes.

"I can't change the past," Mulder said softly to the younger man. "And God forgive me, I don't know that I'd want to if I could. Not if it meant that everything else would change. Not if it meant that today never would have happened."

"He's got it bad," Byers murmured as he watched Mulder pull Krycek in for yet another kiss.

"That's a hell of an understatement," Doggett remarked. "I've read a lot about Agent Mulder, including his father's death, but somehow I managed to miss the fact that it was Krycek who did the deed."

"It was never official," Skinner answered. "*He* didn't want it that way."

Doggett let out a long, raspy whistle. "To have that much power...the more I hear, the more sure I am that Mulder did the right thing by organizing us."

The group remained in the general vicinity for the next forty-five minutes, wandering off in smaller clusters for brief periods of time. When Scully returned, it was Skinner, Doggett, Reyes and Byers who greeted her..

"Where's Mulder?" the redhead asked as she approached the seated men.

"He and Krycek wandered off a little while ago," Skinner answered. "They should be back soon."

"The others?"

"Over there." The A.D. motioned to the ring toss booth. "So, what happened with your brother?"

Scully sighed wearily and sat down next to Doggett. "Well...after a whole lot of arguing, bargaining and the kind of bullshitting that would make Alex Krycek proud, I managed to get Bill out of there with no charges pressed and the promise to pay all of the girl's medical bills."

"Good. Where is he now?"

"He and my mother left. I couldn't stop him."

Skinner nodded but said nothing.

"How're you feelin', Agent Scully?" Doggett inquired. "You've been luggin' that little one around with you all day."

"I'm fine. A little tired now. Hey..." Scully looked around. "There's one of us missing."

"Miss Covarubias," Doggett answered. "We don't know where she is, but we're pretty sure it was she who fed that info to your brother."

"Why?"

"To cause trouble for Krycek'd be my guess. I'm sure everybody's noticed that she's got more'n just a passing interest in Agent Mulder. And Krycek's got 'im. To be blunt, she's damn pissed."

Scully growled softly, looking around.

"Wait till I get my hands on her..."

"Don't you worry about her," Doggett advised. "We're gonna find her; we were just waiting for you to get back."

"Well I'm back, and now Mulder and Krycek are gone."

"They didn't wander far," Reyes assured Scully. "They knew you'd be back soon."

Langly and Frohike returned from their game minutes later, arguing all the way.

"I told you, you can't throw it that way. It'll bounce off the rim every time."

"Oh. Instead of just falling between the bottles like yours did?"

"Ten bucks this guy wasted, trying to prove to me that if you flipped it instead of throwing it like a Frisbee, you could get it to go around the neck of the bottle," Frohike complained, jerking a thumb at his companion. "I finally had to drag him away before he blew another ten."

"Why d'you care?" Langly huffed. "It wasn't your money."

"No, but when you're short on your share of the rent, who do you come to?"

"God save me from this insanity," Scully muttered, wishing in the very next breath that she'd never opened her mouth.

"Uh...help?"

Everyone surrounded the pregnant woman, reading the suddenly anxious look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Skinner asked, curling his fingers around Scully's wrist.

"My water broke."

The statement directed all eyes down to the ground and the puddle forming at Scully's feet.

"Aww, damn," Doggett groaned, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket. "Just relax, Agent Scully, I'm gonna get an ambulance here, and everything'll be fine."

"God," the woman whined as she was seated on the bench behind her. "My mother...my mother's my coach, and she's gone with my brother. She looked around frantically. "Mulder. Somebody find Mulder."

"I'm here," Mulder called, pushing past Byers and Skinner and coming to kneel in front of Scully.

"Mulder, my mother's not here," Scully whimpered as the first contraction hit her. "I need..I need help. Will you coach me?"

Mulder looked up at the man who'd come to stand behind him, received a reassuring smile. He returned his attention back to Scully and nodded.

"Yeah. Uh, yeah. You realize, of course that I don't know what the hell I'm doing, but I'll give it a shot."

Krycek sat down next to Scully and patted her hand.

"You couldn't have picked a better day, Red. If this doesn't say 'screw you' to our buddy, I don't know what does."

"I don't know," Scully hissed, blowing out a long breath. "I think you and Mulder and Skinner and Doggett stuck it to him pretty good."

"That's true," Krycek grinned. I can't wait to see his face when he finds all this out."

Scully nodded and looked past the group. "Where the hell's that ambulance?"

"I don't know." Doggett flipped his phone open and dialed again. He walked away, phone to his ear, his other hand on his hip, becoming a bit agitated as he spoke. He slammed the phone shut and stalked back over.

"What the hell's going on?" Mulder asked, noting the look of irritation on the other man's face.

Doggett started to speak then stopped as the sound of sirens began to wail. He grunted and turned back to Mulder.

"They're not headin' over here just yet. There's an emergency elsewhere on the grounds."

"What *kind* of emergency?" Skinner growled, almost sounding like himself.

"Man fell out of his seat on the ferris wheel, and..."

The rest of Doggett's answer faded into a dull buzz as Krycek turned wide-as-saucers eyes to Mulder.

"Freak accident," the older man shrugged.

"Yeah. Just know you'll *never* get me on one of those again."

"Uh, guys? I'm usually not the demanding type but...I need some attention, and I need it right *now*."

"Shit. Okay, Scully, calm down," Mulder stated in his famous Mulder monotone. "How far was the security office?"

"Not very far. Ahhhhh, shit!"

"I don't care if it was twenty feet away," Krycek grimaced as Scully latched onto his hand and squeezed as the next pain hit her, "she ain't gonna make it walking." He looked around, spotting a security cart about two hundred feet away, putting down the main road. He managed to work his hand out of Scully's grip and sprinted in the direction of the cart, reaching it in mere seconds.

Mulder watched as the younger man stopped the driver and exchanged words with him.

"Okay, Scully, Alex has got some transportation for you, I think." He watched as the security man shook his head and waved Krycek off. "Or not." His eyes grew wide as Krycek reached into the cart, dragging the man out by his collar, and shoved him away. "I take that back. We have transportation."

"Does he know how to do anything nonviolently?" Doggett asked, watching Krycek now speeding toward them, scattering people everywhere as he cut through the crowd.

Mulder shrugged, grinning as he rose to his feet. "I don't know. I'll call you tomorrow and let you know."

The cart screeched to a halt in front of the bench, and Mulder helped Scully up and into the passenger's seat. Krycek leapt out hustled Mulder in, giving the older man no time for a thank you as he waved them off.

"Would you mind telling me what the hell that was all about?" Doggett demanded as soon as Mulder and Scully were gone. "Did you really have to shove that guard to the ground?"

"Fuck off, would you, Doggy?" An exasperated Krycek grumbled. "Scully needed help, I got it for her. That guard thought I was some hood just looking to steal his little scooter..."

"I'd think that too, the way you're dressed." The remark earned him a hard stare.

"I'm not going to stand here and go back and forth with you," Krycek said, surprising even himself by taking the high road. "I'm going to the security office."

And with that, he was off, jogging toward the building.

One by one, each member of the group followed, and minutes later, they entered the building, Krycek first, followed by Skinner and Doggett, then the rest. Scully was just being made comfortable on a nearby cot, by the only security officer in the building, and Mulder settled in beside her, crouching on the floor. A big contraction hit, and Frohike cringed at Scully's pained reaction.

"God...oh, God...Scully, are you sure you can't wait for an ambulance?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure, Frohike," Scully puffed, trying to breathe the way she'd been taught. "Now, if you all wouldn't mind getting the hell out? I'd like to have my baby in the privacy and comfort of this lovely, grimy carnival security office, here."

The area had just about cleared out when Scully's breathless voice stopped the last person to leave.

"Krycek."

The sable head turned, and forest-green eyes turned in Scully's direction.

"Stay."

Krycek looked uncertainly from Scully to Mulder to the officer who was preparing the needed items, then back again to Scully.

"Me?"

"Yeah...oh...oh, *God*..."

Mulder talked the woman through another contraction, and when it was over, she again looked to Krycek.

"Yeah, you. Who else assaulted a security guard and stole his cart so that I wouldn't be turned into a midway attraction?"

Krycek smiled and looked down at the floor. "It's the least I could do after the trouble with your brother."

"That wasn't you," Scully heaved. "Not entirely. That was that bitch, Marita. Speaking...speaking of...ah, *Jesus*.....where is she?"

"Don't know," Mulder answered in the wake of Krycek's silence. "We looked around a little for her while you were here with your mother and brother, and we couldn't find her. Don't worry about that now. We'll handle Marita when we find her."

Okay...okay. Uh...Mulder...I don't think I can...*sonofabitch*!"

The worst contraction yet hit, and there was no more talking. Screaming. Cursing, but no talking. And outside, six people paced and waited, cringing as each screech grew in intensity. In the meantime, the same police officers who had handled the situation with Bill Scully walked up with the security guard that Krycek had removed from his vehicle.

"What is it with you people?" One of the officers asked. "This guard here says that your buddy with the leather jacket, the *same* friend who, coincidentally, was implicated in that earlier incident, yanked him off of his cart and took off with it."

This time Skinner stepped forward and flashed his own badge.

"Assistant Director Skinner, FBI. Yes, Mr. Krycek did confiscate this gentleman's cart, but with good reason. Agent Scully, the pregnant woman whose brother had cause that bit of trouble, has gone into labor, and the only ambulance the owners of this carnival have on duty is busy elsewhere. We needed to get her back here to the office, and she couldn't walk..."

"That's what Fonzie there told me," the guard said, confirming Skinner's story. "I didn't believe him." He turned to the officer to his right. "The guy looked like a thug. Who'd have thought he was telling the truth?"

"I understand," Skinner assured the man, "believe me."

"Well," the officer sighed. "I guess your friend is out of hot water again." He looked at Byers. "Slippery devil, ain't he?"

The bearded man gave the officer an uneasy smile and looked away.

"Your cart is over there," Skinner nodded at the vehicle. "No damage."

As the guard went over to inspect his cart, the officer nodded to the door of the building.

"Need any help?"

"Well, we'd really like to get that ambulance here a.s.a.p. Do you know if it's still in use?"

"Yeah," the officer answered. "But it shouldn't be too much longer. They had already left with the ferris wheel guy, and the hospital is only a few minutes away. Sorry, we'd get another ambulance for you, but the next nearest one is half an hour away."

The constant hollering in the office stopped, and a new sound pierced the air, stopping all conversation dead, and seconds later, a beaming Krycek emerged.

"It's a boy," he announced breathlessly, grinning from ear to ear. "They're both fine."

"No green skin? Big, almond shaped, black eyes?" Frohike asked warily.

"No, Tattoo, it's a baby," Krycek snapped impatiently. "A *human* baby. You can come in, in a few minutes. I'll come back and tell you when." He looked to Doggett. "Where the hell's that ambulance?"

"Soon," Doggett answered. "Hopefully."

"Hopefully," Krycek repeated. "Wonderful." He gave the policemen a casual glance, then ducked back inside.

The policemen hung around for a few minutes longer, then excused themselves when they received a call on a fight at the other end of the park. A few more minutes passed, and Krycek again poked his head out, smiling at everyone.

"She's ready. You can come in now."

The small group entered the office, smiles appearing on each face as they looked down at Scully reclining on the cot, and Mulder sitting in a chair beside her, holding the little bundle that was Scully's son, and talking on his cell phone.

"Yeah...no, she's fine. They both are. Okay, I'll call you again when we get to the hospital and give you directions. All right." He disconnected then smiled down at Scully. "They're turning around."

Scully nodded and closed her eyes. "Thanks, Mulder."

After a quick round of congratulations, the group moved toward Mulder for a look at the baby.

"That it?" Frohike asked, edging closer and peering over the blanket to see for himself that it was indeed a human child.

"He's not an it," Krycek growled, kneeling beside Mulder, and placing his finger in the baby's palm. "He's a *he*. You wanna give him a complex the first few minutes of his life?"

"Oooh, s'cuse me, Dr. Spock," Frohike tossed back, earning himself a look of disgust. He smiled over in Scully's direction then backed away. "Cute kid."

"Thanks," a weary Scully replied. Her half-closed eyes wandered over the assortment of characters, and she sighed. "You know, I'd really wanted to have him in a nice, sterile hospital with doctors and nurses around, but...somehow this is fitting."

Mulder smiled, a bit confused. "How so?"

"My life has been insane since the first day I met you, Mulder," Scully explained, grinning. "If my baby was born under typical circumstances, it just wouldn't seem...well, *normal*."

"Ambulance is on its way," the security officer told the group as he hung the phone up, effectively interrupting Mulder's reply to Scully's affectionate dig.

"Thank God."

Mulder started to hand the baby back to Scully, but she looked quickly to Krycek and nodded to the bundle in Mulder's arms.

"You wanna hold him for a minute?"

Mulder rose from his seat, smiling at a surprised Krycek and handed him the baby.

Gingerly, Krycek relieved Mulder of his small burden, and he looked down at the new arrival in amazement.

"I...I never had any brothers or sisters," he said in a hushed voice. "No nieces or nephews." He looked over at Mulder with his heart in his eyes. "I've never held anything this small. It's...it's so..." He went silent, not knowing how to adequately communicate all that he was feeling.

Scully watched him curiously then turned her gaze to Mulder, who felt her eyes on him and switched his attention from Krycek to her. Without speaking a word, she conveyed her profound astonishment. Smiling, Mulder shook his head and returned his attention to the man for whom his feelings had just deepened considerably.

Very soon, Scully and baby were taken out to the ambulance, and Mulder accompanied her with a promise from Krycek that he'd be right behind them. But before he could leave, Skinner stopped him.

"Can I help you with something, Wally?" Krycek asked, looking pointedly at the hand resting against his chest.

Skinner dropped his hand. "What was that all about?"

"What was *what* all about?"

"That whole Mr. Sensitive bit. Why are you sucking up to Scully all of a sudden?"

"I don't suck up to anybody, Skinner. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to the hospital. See you there?"

Skinner watched the younger man walk away, a grimace hardening his already rocky features.

"For the record, Walt," Doggett said, moving to Skinner's side, "I don't think it was an act."

"You don't know him, John. You don't know him at all."

"True. But I really think that he's on the level with this."

"Gimme a break," Skinner snorted. "You couldn't be farther off track."

Doggett stared for a moment then spoke.

"I'm glad to see my opinion means so much to you."

"Shit. I...I'm sorry, John," Skinner whispered, moving closer to the other man. "But you really don't know this man. He's got a lot of faces. None of them sincere."

"I disagree. He's sincere about his concern for Scully and her baby. And he's sincere in his affection for Mulder. I'd stake my life on it."

"Yeah, well let's hope your life never does depend on it."

Doggett stared quietly for a moment then began to walk away.

"Let's just agree to disagree, okay?"

"John..." Skinner called, practically whining as he followed in Doggett's wake. "Come on, don't be upset. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to trivialize your opinions..."

"Oh, brother," Frohike sighed as the two men moved past them. "Already they're fighting? I knew it wouldn't work."

"They'll be fine," Reyes argued. "But they sure as heck don't need your negative energy. It doesn't help."

"Oh, *sorry*. From now on, I'll only send out good vibes, okay?" Frohike cracked, wiggling his fingers at the woman.

"Hey, Reyes," Langly called to the woman as they all began to follow Skinner and Doggett. "You're all big on energy and vibes. Do you get anything negative from Krycek?"

Reyes shook her head. "Can't read him."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. I get something from every one of you...not him."

"Why did a chill just run down my spine?" Byers asked, listening to the woman speak.

"Sorry. There's nothing spooky about it, it's just that there are some people who, for whatever reason give off no readable energy. I'm not saying it isn't there, I'm just saying that it's a different kind of energy. I can't feel it."

"Like...something black? Evil?" Frohike asked, clearly disturbed by his own question.

"No," Reyes laughed. "Evil energy is very strong. If Krycek was the son of the Satan, I think I'd be able to feel that."

The remainder of the group separated and managed to catch up to Krycek, who had caught up to the ambulance, and twenty minutes later, everyone arrived at the hospital. While Scully and the baby were checked out, Mulder called her mother again, then he and Krycek sat together, watching Doggett and Skinner stand several feet apart, Skinner every so often casting pathetic looks in the other man's direction. Krycek threw his head back and sighed heavily.

"What the hell's the problem here?"

All eyes turned to the man who had broken the silence.

"You two," he stated flatly, looking from one man to the other. "What's your problem?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Skinner grated.

"A few hours ago we found you making out in the fun house, and now you're looking like you've both got broomhandles shoved up your asses."

Mulder rolled his eyes and pressed a kiss into the side of Krycek's head.

"Very sensitive, babe."

"Hey, I got not patience, for beating around the..." Krycek stopped, smiling at the older man. "Babe?"

Mulder shrugged, giving Krycek a tiny grin.

"I like that," Krycek murmured, nuzzling his lover's chin before taking his mouth in a soft kiss. He pulled away seconds later and picked up where he left off.

"Anyway...what was the fight about?" Before either man could say a word, he held up a hand. "Wait. On second thought, never mind. I'm sure I don't want to know. Whatever it was, just...kiss and make up." He made a sour face at the thought. Or least make up. You can kiss later. You know, when there's no else around who might be blinded by the horror."

"Would you stop," Mulder chastised, gently slapping the younger man's thigh.

"What if I don't?" Krycek purred, moving closer and practically sitting in Mulder's lap. "You gonna spank me?"

"Maybe later," Mulder answered against the younger man's mouth before covering it with his own.

Doggett watched the two kissing and cooing, and his gaze rose to Skinner's briefly before skittering away.

"Agent...Mulder. Can I...can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure," Mulder said, never tearing himself away from his lover's mouth just long enough to look at his watch. "Go."

"Alone, please."

Groaning softly, Mulder kissed Krycek once more before excusing himself and following Doggett into the hall.

"Okay, what's so important?"

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"You. Krycek. How've you managed to put aside your history, your...your differences, and be so...lovey dovey?"

Mulder grimaced at the term and answered Doggett's question with a question of his own.

"What's the matter?"

"I've changed my mind about Krycek considerably over the course of this day, but Walt isn't the least bit impressed, and we're sort of...at odds over it."

Mulder crossed his arms over his chest and gave Doggett a slight nod. "I see. He'll never like Alex, you know."

"So I see. And truthfully, that's fine. I just want him to be able to respect *my* feelings on the subject. But he doesn't want to know from my opinion. It's like his is the only one that counts."

"And this is why you're standing halfway across the room, ignoring his puppy dog eyes?"

"Yep."

"That's stupid."

"Well, what would *you* do if you and Krycek had differing opinions on a subject, and he just dismissed what you had to say?"

"Fight with him about it. Make him understand that it's got to be okay for me to have my own opinions. Tie him down if I had to, but make him listen. Personally, I don't think you have to go that far unless you're into that sort of thing, and you want to do it anyway just for kicks."

Doggett scowled at the suggestion.

"Yeah, I didn't think so," Mulder sighed. "Anyway...he's already regretful. I know you can see that."

"He regrets that I'm mad at him, yeah. That's not resolvin' anything."

"For the love of...it's a start, isn't it? Stop being so fucking rigid, get back in there, and make up. This whole thing's gonna blow over, and where will *you* two be?"

"I don't wanna fight with him," Doggett moaned. "Cripes, we haven't even..." He waved a hand back and forth. "...you know...and we've already had a damn fight."

Mulder stared blankly, trying to wipe the image from his mind. Moments later, he gave himself a mental shake and slapped Doggett on the back.

"Go home."

"What?"

"You heard me, go home. Get the hell out of here. Scully's fine, the baby's fine. You and Skinner are not so fine. Drag him out of here, take him home, and fuck him into next week."

"Crude, but I got your point."

"Good. Now get out."

Doggett studied the other man for a few seconds more before he spun around and strode back into the waiting room. He stopped mere centimeters from Skinner's chest and stared directly into the deep brown eyes of the A.D.

"We're leavin'."

"We're..."

"*Leavin'*."

"But...Scully..."

"Scully's fine," Krycek called from the sofa where Mulder had left him. "Christ Walter, don't you know when your man's trying to take you home so he can screw you?"

Skinner's attention refocused on the man in front of him, and his expression changed from reserved to something infinitely softer.

"Really? You want to go..."

"Home. Yeah. Let's go."

"Whose place do you want to go to?" Skinner asked as Doggett grasped his hand and led him away.

"Whichever one we get to first," Doggett could be heard saying as the two men disappeared into the hall.

"What'd you say to him?" Byers asked, looking from the empty doorway to Mulder.

"Just told him to stop being a jerk, basically."

Mulder sat down next to Krycek and curved an arm around the younger man's shoulders as the doctor assigned to Scully entered the waiting room. The man scanned the group, seemingly looking for someone in particular.

"Is there a Mr. Mulder here?"

"I'm Mulder."

The doctor looked to the man who was rising to his feet.

"I'm Doctor Randolph."

Mulder approached and shook the other man's hand.

"How are they?"

"Just fine. Miss Scully is exhausted, though. She's being made comfortable in a room, and the baby's getting checked out and cleaned up. He should be in the nursery any minute now. It's down the hall and around the first corner for anyone who'd like to go see him."

"Thank you."

"I've limited her visitors so that she might get some rest, but Miss Scully insists on seeing you and a..." He looked at his clipboard. "...Mr. Krycek."

Krycek came up behind Mulder and stood quietly.

"Mr. Krycek I presume?"

Krycek nodded and took the extended hand.

"All right. You gentlemen can see her now, but please try to keep your visit brief. She really does need to get some rest."

"We'll go see the kid," Frohike announced to Mulder, "then we'll probably get going. She's not gonna be able to see us tonight, so..."

"Just tell her we were here, and give her our congratulations again," Reyes finished Frohike's sentence.

"Okay. Thanks, everybody...oh. Oh, shit."

"What?" Langly asked. "You forget something?"

"Yeah. We *all* did."

The others cocked their heads curiously.

"*Marita*. We took off without her."

"Oh, shit. We did, didn't we? Well, I guess we're *not* going right home," Langly replied. "Don't worry about it, we'll go back and find her."

"Thanks, guys. We'll talk to you tomorrow sometime."

The group split up, and Mulder and Krycek headed to the room indicated by the doctor. Mulder pushed the door open, and they entered, meeting a pair of weary, blue eyes.

"Good thing you got here when you did," Scully sighed, closing then opening her eyes. "I don't know how much longer I'd be able to stay awake."

"You don't have to talk to us," Krycek replied softly, coming to stand by the new mother's side. "Go to sleep."

"No, I want to say something first."

"Okay, but make it fast," Mulder ordered, sitting down at the edge of the bed.

"I think I have a name for him. But I want to run it by the both of you first."

The two men looked inquisitively at each other then turned to Scully.

"Why do you need to check with us?" Mulder asked.

"Because I...I would like for his first name to be William...sorry, Mulder, but I just couldn't saddle my child with a name like Fox, so I thought your middle name would work..."

Mulder grinned. "Really?"

"Yeah. That okay with you?"

"Yeah. I'm honored." Mulder gave her an amused smirk. "And of course, if you keep your mouth shut, you could also score points with your brother."

Scully laughed. "Yeah, I thought about that. He need never know." She covered Mulder's hand with hers, then looked up at Krycek. "And I'd like his middle name to be Alexander."

Krycek blinked in utter shock. "You're...are you serious?"

"Yeah. I like the name. William Alexander. Has a nice ring to it. Commands respect."

Krycek lowered his gaze to the floor, not for the first time this day, speechless.

"My child needs people in his life who are going to care about him and help mould him into a sensitive, confident, loving, open-minded person. There's a very limited number of people who I can trust to do that. You're two of them."

"Scully, I..." Krycek stuttered. "Mulder, yeah, but...me?"

"I've been watching you, Alex. I can't believe I'm saying it either, but you have what it takes. You'll make a wonderful 'uncle'...if you're up for it."

"I...*yeah*, I'd love to, but..." Krycek glanced warily at Scully then Mulder, and back again. "Are you really sure about this? It's just not the pain medication talking or something?"

"No," Scully answered, her voice growing more faint by the second. "Mulder, whack him upside the head so he knows he's not dreaming..."

"Yeah, Scully, okay," Mulder answered as he watched the woman drift off the sleep. When she was completely out, he rose from the bed and took Krycek's hand. The two stood looking down at the sleeping woman for a good, long while before Krycek spoke.

"I can't believe she'd actually want somebody like me in her child's life," he murmured.

"She sees the good in you," Mulder answered, planting a soft kiss against the side of his lover's head. "Like I do."

"I don't want you to fool yourselves, Fox." Krycek turned to face him. "I'm no saint all of a sudden. Don't think I ever will be. "He looked at the older man warily. "Been bad too long."

Mulder returned a confident smile.

"Bad boy with a big heart."

Krycek's gaze fell to the narrow band of daylight between them.

"Just don't let it get around, huh?" He looked up into amber-flecked, green eyes. "Kinda hard to be intimidating if people know you've got a nine foot stuffed animal that your boyfriend won for you at a carnival in your apartment, and you're changing diapers for a little rugrat who knows you as 'Uncle Alex'."

"My lips are sealed," Mulder promised, grinning uncontrollably. He looked down at Scully then back up at Krycek.

"Looks like she's out for the night. Wanna go see the baby now?"

A warm smile curved Krycek's lips.

"Yeah. Let's go."

There were only two other people in front of the nursery window when the men arrived. Both pushed over slightly to make room for the new arrivals.

Mulder nodded his thanks, and he and Krycek quickly scanned the half-full room before Krycek pointed to the baby at the end of the second row.

"There he is." A wide grin lit his face. "Look, he's all clean and pink now."

The man standing beside them looked over and offered a friendly smile and a hello.

Mulder returned the greeting while Krycek tapped and cooed at the glass.

"Which one's yours?"

The proud father pointed to the girl in the middle of the first row.

"Right here. Beautiful, isn't she?"

"Yeah. She's a doll. Congratulations."

"Thanks." The man watched Krycek and chuckled. "His first, I take it?"

"Yeah, you could say that. Actually, it's a first for both us."

The man's expression turned from one of pleasure to total confusion.

"Huh?"

Unable to resist, Mulder slipped his arm around Krycek's waist and kissed the younger man's cheek.

"Come on, babe. It's been a long, long day. What d'you say we go home now?"

"So soon?" Krycek whined. "We just got here." He looked around the nursery. "And there's no nurse in there. Where's the nurse?" He looked to the older man, anxiety putting a damper on his euphoria. "Shouldn't there be a nurse in there at all times? What if something happens?"

Mulder rolled his eyes and gave the flabbergasted man beside them a conspiratorial wink.

"It's okay, babe, I'm sure the nurse will be right back."

"Yeah, well, I'm waiting right here until she does. And then I have a few questions for her..."

"He's such a worrier," Mulder confided in the man.

"Yeah. Uh...yeah. Well, uh..." the man stammered, backing toward the entrance. "I gotta go now." He looked at the man who had left Mulder's side to corner the just returned nurse. "Congratulations," he said again, making the wish sound more like a question, and he disappeared quickly from the room.

Chuckling softly to himself, Mulder turned to join Krycek and rescue the poor nurse he'd trapped.

"It was only for two minutes," the nurse tried explaining as calmly as she could to the pain in the ass who'd demanded to know why she'd left the babies alone.

"I don't care if it was for two seconds," Krycek argued. "It takes only that long for disaster to strike. Do you know there are sickos out there who steal babies out of hospitals?"

"Sir, I understand all of a new parent's concerns, but I promise you, the babies are perfectly safe..."

"Alex, are you giving this poor lady a hard time?" Mulder asked, placing a hand on the younger man's shoulder and smiling at the harried nurse.

"No, I'm not giving her a hard time. I just want to know why there isn't a relief nurse on duty, so that when one has to be away from the nursery, there's still one here."

"We're a small hospital, sir. We don't have that large a staff."

"Come on, Alex, give the woman a break. She seems very competent to me."

"Thank you, sir."

Krycek glared at the woman then stepped forward, stopping when they were only inches apart.

"You'd better be."

"Oh, God," Mulder muttered before directing his next words to the other man. "Okay Alex, you're really tired. Time to go home now, and get some rest. Nurse..." He looked at the woman's nametag. "...Roarke will take very good care of William, I'm sure, and then if all's well, he'll go home tomorrow where you'll be able to watch him like a hawk. 'Course, then Scully might want to kill you..."

With a sincere apology to the nurse and one final look at the baby, Mulder finally managed to lure Krycek away from the nursery, and the two made their way out of the building.

"What's so amusing?" Krycek asked, observing the smile on Mulder's face as they reached the older man's car.

"You are. Keys."

Krycek reached into his pocket and pulled Mulder's car keys out, tossing them to his still grinning lover.

"Why am *I* so funny?"

"I was going to say you're behaving like a nervous new father but you're not." He started to laugh as he unlocked both doors. "You're *worse*."

Krycek opened his door, glaring at the older man, and got into the car.

"I don't understand why my concern for William's safety is so funny. You know how many babies are stolen from hospitals every year."

"Yeah, I do, Alex, but in relation to the amount of babies born every day, it's a very, very small percentage." Mulder watched Krycek's brow furrow into a worried frown, and he reached across the seat, taking the younger man's hand.

"Scully knew what she was doing..." Mulder sent the other man a soft smile. "...Uncle Alex..."

The frown dissolved into tender smile, and Krycek glanced over at Mulder as he pulled out onto the street and started for home.

"Been a wild day, huh?"

"Oh, yeah. In a good way, though...mostly."

Krycek nodded and turned his eyes to the road. His smile faded, and he again looked to the driver.

"It's over, right? We're not going to let ourselves get sucked back in."

"Not a chance in hell.

"...And you're not going to wake up tomorrow morning, look at me and wonder what hell you got yourself into?"

Mulder laughed softly. "Definitely not. If anything, I'll wonder what the hell took us so long to get to this. I'm already asking myself that."

Krycek inched closer and laid his head on the older man's shoulder.

"Tired?" Mulder asked, rubbing his cheek against his lover's head.

"A little." Krycek turned his face into the side of Mulder's neck and began brushing the skin with gentle kisses as his hand traveled up and down the other man's thigh. "But not *too* tired."

A lascivious chuckle rolled in Mulder's throat. "I'm glad. 'Cause I've been walking around with some serious wood in my pants all day."

"Aww." Krycek let his fingers brush the bulge in Mulder's jeans, and the older man sucked in his breath.

"Don't start anything you can't finish, Krycek."

"I can finish it," Krycek argued softly. "Just not right at the moment."

"That's what I mean. It's gonna be a long damn ride if you keep that up."

"Yeah, but think of how good it's going to feel when you finally get some relief."

"Can't think that far ahead," Mulder croaked as Krycek continued to torment him. "All I can think about is right now, and how much I'm suffering...and how you're going to pay for torturing me."

"Oooh, you promise?"

"Cross my heart and hope to...wrap this car around a light pole if you don't stop that!"

Krycek emitted an evil little chuckle and gave Mulder on more firm squeeze before removing his hand.

"Okay, I'll behave."

"There's something I'll have to see to believe."

Krycek smiled and closed his eyes, enjoying the soft hum of the engine and the feel of Mulder's body touching his.

"Definitely took too long," he sighed, those being the last words he uttered before falling into a light sleep. The next thing he knew, he was listening to the ring of a phone, and Mulder's voice speaking in muted tones.

"...Not anywhere? Come on Byers, she has to be *somewhere*."

Krycek lifted his head, and Mulder sent him a quick smile before returning his attention to his conversation.

"...No...no, no, I believe you were thorough...did you notify security? Okay. Hey, no, that's all you could do....yeah, she very well could have....okay...yeah. Thanks, Byers...yeah, you too."

Mulder disconnected and shook his head, blowing a long breath out through his nose.

"What's up?"

"The Gunmen couldn't find Marita."

"She has to be there somewhere," Krycek reasoned. "Unless she got fed up and left on her own."

"Yeah, that's probably what happened. She was so pissed at us, I don't doubt that she just decided to bolt. They notified security anyway just as a precaution."

Covering a tiny smirk, Krycek nodded and looked around, but there were no signs in sight at the moment.

"Where are we?"

"About fifteen minutes from home. Have a nice nap?"

The younger man stretched, grinning at Mulder. "Mmm hmm."

"All rested and refreshed now?"

Laughing softly, Krycek wound an arm around Mulder's waist and balanced his chin on the other man's shoulder. "Why do you want to know?"

"Just concerned...you know."

"I'm touched, Fox, really. What if I told you I could sleep for another ten hours?"

"I'd say that was too damn bad for you. I have no intention to fuck an unconscious man. Nor do I intend to wait until morning in case you were thinking about suggesting it. So, if I were you, I'd just wake the hell up right now."

"Demanding bastard, aren't you?" Krycek asked, thoroughly enjoying himself.

"When I want something, yes. Absolutely."

"You want me, Fox?"

God, right in his ear. That smoke-cured, honey and gravel tone that had rattled him so many times before.

"You're kidding, right?"

"Tell me."

If he didn't stop that, Mulder was going to pull off the road right here...five fucking minutes from home, drag his ass into the back seat, and fuck him into the floorboards.

"Alex, please."

"What's the matter, Fox? You sound a little breathless."

"I'd be able to breathe just fine, thank you, if you'd stop moaning in my ear."

"C'mon, be a man."

"Give me five minutes, and I'll show you a man."

"Mmmm."

Krycek squirmed impatiently against the older man and said nothing more until they pulled into the parking garage of Mulder's building.

The car screeched to a halt, and Mulder killed the motor, quickly jumping out of the car and meeting Krycek on the passenger's side before he was even fully out of the vehicle.

"Sorry, were you going to open my door for me?" Krycek teased then grunted as Mulder grabbed hold of his jacket and stalked toward the elevator, dragging him along.

The moment they began their ascent, Mulder pinned him to the wall, taking his mouth in a punishing kiss. He wrapped his arms around the older man's neck, holding him in place as he echoed his lover's hunger. When the elevator stopped, and the doors opened, they stumbled together into the hall, pulling each other along toward Mulder's apartment.

In record time, Mulder had the door unlocked and open, and they fell inside, Alex kicking the door shut behind them.

"Still tired?" Mulder asked, jerking the younger man's jacket off and tossing it aside before pulling his t-shirt out of his jeans.

"I believe I'm awake now," Krycek panted, returning the favor. When Mulder's shirt lay on the floor beside his, he went to work on the other man's jeans, unbuttoning and unzipping, and pushing them down as he kneeled. He looked up into hazy, green-gray eyes and pulled Mulder's underwear down, whimpering audibly at what waited for him beneath the clingy, gray material.

Golden-brown eyelashes fluttered then swept down over Mulder's eyes as Krycek's hands wandered gently over the rounded curve of his ass, and he pitched forward slightly to let the tip of his tongue glide up the length of his cock.

Reaching the end of his journey, Krycek sucked gently at the tip before moving back to the base of Mulder's cock and starting again. The older man endured his teasing for just a bit longer before lacing his fingers in his lover's hair and pulling him to his feet.

"Why'd you stop me?" Krycek asked, running his hands over the muscles of the other man's back. "You didn't like it?"

"Are you serious?" Mulder pulled Krycek against him, kissing the younger man deeply before releasing him. "I'd love to come down your throat, babe, but tonight I...I want to fuck you. I need to. Okay?"

Krycek nodded, submitting to another ravenous kiss before they finished undressing each other.

"I knew you were beautiful," Mulder whispered, reverently touching the smooth skin of his lover's chest, letting his hand drift downward, skimming over the twitching muscles of his abdomen, and lightly brushing the flushed head of his cock. The shaft twitched on contact, and Mulder smiled.

"We've got the whole night ahead of us. What d'you say we take the edge off right now?" He ran his hands down Krycek's back and over his rear, stopping to caress the tight muscles. "Then we'll be able to slow it down and take our time."

The younger man nodded, dragging his tongue up the side of Mulder's neck.

"Sounds like a plan."

The two retreated to the bedroom, Mulder backing Krycek into then pushing him down onto the bed. He disappeared into the bathroom for only a few seconds then returned with a tube of lubrication. He stood by the side of the bed, gazing down at the exquisitely naked man sprawled across the mattress, and a soft moan escaped his throat.

"I thought I was insane for fantasizing about this. Was sure Scully'd have me committed if she knew...but here you are..." He lowered himself to his hands and knees on the bed, straddling Krycek's torso, and brought his face within inches of the younger man's. "All mine."

"All yours," Krycek repeated almost inaudibly before Mulder's mouth met his. Impatiently, he wrapped his arms around the older man and pulled him down, groaning into his mouth when skin finally met skin.

Mulder broke the kiss, dragging his mouth down the younger man's throat then back up, ending up at his ear.

"I need to be inside you."

Krycek separated his legs and lifted them, hooking them over the older man's hips, and he pressed up against him.

"Then get there."

Mulder picked up the lube and placed it in Krycek's hand.

"Help me?"

Gladly.

Krycek fumbled with the cap, finally managed to get it off, then squeezed the tube. The gel came out in a quick plop, and he wondered if it was a bit too much.

//You recall the size of that puppy, Alex?//

He smiled, moving his hand down to Mulder's cock and stroked gently along its length. Mulder grunted at his touch, and he could feel the older man struggling to keep it together. He finished quickly, not wanting Mulder to come until he was where they both needed him to be. When the other man hesitated, he looked questioningly into near-black eyes.

"Gimme a second," Mulder whispered, and he understood. Gently, they kissed and caressed, each learning the feel and taste of the other, and when he felt able to continue, Mulder shifted position, coaxing Krycek to wrap his legs around his waist, and he guided his cock between the quivering cheeks of his lover's rear. He probed gently at first, slowly pushing inch after inch into the younger man, but the soft, choked whimpers sounding in his ears encouraged him to move with more confidence.

Krycek's head snapped back, and a harsh sob fell from his parted lips as found himself being stretched and filled beyond the point which he thought possible. His fingers dug into the flexing muscles of his lover's back, pulling him impossibly closer, and then he buried his face into the curve between Mulder's neck and shoulder.

"Please...c'mon, Fox," he begged the man who had begun to thrust steadily into him. "Want to feel it. Harder."

Gratefully, Mulder complied, needing desperately to meet the demands of his body and complete his possession of the man beneath him. As he began to move faster and with more force, he wrapped one hand around his lover's cock and matched the pace of his hips, driving them both into a heated frenzy.

"God...ah, *Jesus*," Krycek gasped as the slight shift in Mulder's position sent an almost explosive pleasure radiating through every inch of his body.

"Right there, Alex?" Mulder asked, hitting the younger man's prostate again and listening to him yowl and whimper frantically. "Yeah, that's it." He withdrew almost all the way and drove back in, moving harder and faster until he'd reduced Krycek to a mindless mass of need, crying out wordlessly for the relief that was only a half a breath away.

Krycek's world went slowly dark then exploded into a million pinpoints of light as he detonated. He wouldn't remember clawing at Mulder's back, but the welts and scratches that would show up later proved the extent of his madness as he came like he never thought he could. His screams would resonate long after they'd both gone still and silent, and the weakness in his limbs would later translate into the most pleasurable ache...

Thrusting relentlessly, Mulder gritted his teeth and released a long, hard growl as he emptied himself into his lover. Finally able to release years of pent of frustration, his body shuddered violently then simply collapsed on top of the younger man. He lay panting heavily, unable to move or speak but wanting so much to. Long minutes later, it was Krycek who spoke.

"Think I'm dead."

"Good, satisfied dead, or just dead, dead?" Mulder mumbled into the younger man's shoulder.

"Good...incredibly, unbelievably satisfied, dead," Krycek sighed. "I never...didn't think I'd ever..."

Mulder waited to hear the rest, but Krycek's voice just faded and went silent.

"Didn't think you'd ever what?"

"Be able to let someone..." He drew in a long breath and blew it out. "...do that t-to me..."

Mulder lifted his head and focused a hazy, gray gaze on the younger man.

"Do what to you?"

"....Fuck me."

Golden-brown eyebrows crinkled into a confused frown.

"What?" Mulder blinked in dismay. "Alex, are you telling me...are you saying that you've never been with a man?"

"No. I'm saying that I've always been the one to do the fucking. Never trusted anyone enough to let them do me."

"Jesus," Mulder gasped, still staring in amazement.

"Are you mad at me?" Krycek asked, almost timidly.

"*No*. No, I just...damn, Alex, I wish you would have told me. I wasn't exactly gentle, and it was your first time." His words came back around and smacked him in the head. "God, your first time...with *me*."

"I've known for a long time that it had to be you." Krycek drew his index finger down the older man's roughened cheek. "You or nobody."

"I don't know what to say," Mulder whispered. "But Alex," he chastised gently, "why didn't you tell me before?"

"Because I wanted everything you had. I didn't want you to hold back because of me. If you had, it wouldn't have been as good for you. You would have been too busy worrying about hurting me."

"So, instead I'm worried after the fact." Mulder caressed the side of his lover's head. "Are you okay?"

"I don't think I'll be able to walk right for a couple of days, but aside from that, I'm fine." He pulled the older man down for a thorough kiss. "I have what I've been dreaming about for years...and I've never felt better."

Mulder initiated the next kiss then stared down at the other man, shaking his head.

"I still can't believe it."

"What?"

"That you would wait for me...knowing until just today that the chances of this happening were practically nil. What would you have done if we had never ended up together?"

"I don't know," Krycek answered honestly. "But the thought of it sends cold shivers down my spine. Now that I have you, I..."

"You what?"

"Jesus, am I really going to say this? ...I don't know what I'd do without you. God," he muttered, disbelief starting to seep in. "Am I insane? I must be."

"Why?" Mulder asked even though he had a pretty good idea.

"I let you fuck me, and right away I'm thinking that I can't start or end a day without you? If that isn't insanity..."

"Then we're both nuts," Mulder informed the younger man calmly. "Because the thought of going to sleep and waking up alone is as far from what I now want as it can be. I want you here every day and night, and if it's what you want too, let's do it."

Krycek stared up at the other man then wrapped his arms around him and pulled him down into a fierce hug.

"Really? God, Fox, this is crazy."

"I know," Mulder smiled into the curve of his lover's neck. "But I know, Alex, that it's right. I've been searching all day, and I can't dig up an ounce of doubt. I want this." He lifted his head and looked down into softly glowing green eyes. "Tell me you do, too."

A smile trembled at Krycek's lips, and a he nodded slowly. He closed his eyes and lifted his head from the pillows to meet Mulder halfway as the older man came in for a deep kiss, and was gently pushed back down as their mouths touched.

Now able to set a much more leisurely pace, the two began to explore, touching and caressing...discovering ticklish spots and lingering at those which brought pleasure. In time, lazy enjoyment melded into a sweet urgency that built layer upon layer until it could no longer be delayed.

Krycek rolled Mulder beneath him and layed his claim; so completely possessing him that by the time they'd reached the devastating finish, he had the older man screaming and sobbing his absolute devotion to him. He collapsed in a satisfied heap into his lover's arms, and the two lay nuzzling and purring their contentment.

"Tell me again why we waited so long to do this," Mulder croaked, stroking one hand up and down Krycek's perspiration dotted back while the other combed idly through his hair.

"Don't know," Krycek mumbled. "Dumb?"

"As long as you're referring to the both of us." Mulder kissed the damp, sable head.

"Mmm hmm...know what?"

Mulder could have guessed, but he let the other man tell him.

"What?"

"I'm fried. You wore me out."

Mulder laughed wearily. "You ain't the only one." He nestled into the pillows, holding his lover securely to his chest. "Go to sleep."

Krycek nodded, peppering Mulder's chest with kisses. "I'll try."

"Try?"

"M'afraid that if I go to sleep, I'll wake up and find us back where we were before."

"No, baby. We'll be right here. I promise."

Krycek smiled and burrowed into Mulder's warmth. "G'night, Fox," he breathed, happier than he could ever express.

Mulder hugged the younger man tightly to him.

"Goodnight, babe."

Darkness quickly descended, enveloping both men in deep, peaceful sleep.

"Hmmmmmm..."

Mulder turned onto his side, snuggling down into the pillows, and his hand slid across the mattress, coming in contact with...

Green eyes splashed with gold and blue snapped open, and Mulder looked over at the empty space beside him.

"Alex?"

He stopped and listened to the silence then called again as he started to get out of bed.

"*Alex*!"

Before he could reach the bedroom door, his missing lover appeared, fully dressed and carrying two white paper bags.

"What?"

Mulder looked the other man up and down. "Wh-where were you?"

Krycek held the bags up. "Getting breakfast. And I went home to get some clothes. I didn't want to wear the same thing I had on yesterday, today."

Mulder heaved a relieved breath and began to smile. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"I woke up and tried to go back to sleep, but I couldn't. You were still dead to the world, so I figured I could leave and come back, possibly even before you woke up."

Mulder took a few steps forward and pressed his naked body against his clothed lover.

"I probably would have gone right back to sleep if I hadn't realized that you weren't in bed with me." He wrapped his arms around Krycek's neck and laid his head on the younger man's shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Krycek murmured into the wild, golden-brown hair. "C'mon, get back into bed."

"Wait. Gotta call Scully."

"I did that already. Her mother and brother are there. She's gonna get released today, and they're going to take her and William home. We can go see them later today. Now, come on..."

"You coming with me?"

Krycek smirked at the older man and placed the bags down on the nightstand. He removed his jacket, and Mulder was there, helping him out of the rest of his clothes. As soon as he was naked again, he slipped under the sheet with his lover and picked one of the bags up, withdrawing two cups of steaming coffee.

"What's in the other one?" Mulder asked, just now realizing that he was hungry.

"Lemon poppy seed and carrot bran muffins, egg and cheese croissants, and raspberry danish."

Snapping his fingers, Mulder motioned for Krycek to pass the bag over, and he dug in, pulling out a croissant. He took a bite then held the croissant up in front of his lover's mouth.

"You got these from Maryanne's downtown, huh?" he asked as Krycek bit into the pastry.

"Mmm hmm," Krycek nodded, not speaking till he'd swallowed what was in his mouth. "How'd you know?"

"I stop there a lot on my way in to work. They make everything right there. It's more like homemade."

"It's very good," Krycek agreed, digging into the bag. "Glad I went there."

Half an hour later, the two men settled back against a mound of pillows, full, and again quite sleepy.

"God, I can't keep my eyes open," Mulder yawned, being pulled into the comfort of Krycek's arms.

"I know," Krycek mumbled. "Guess we're more tired than we thought."

The older man stifled another yawn. "And I had this image of us waking up this morning and going at it until afternoon."

"So, we'll wake up later and go at it until tonight," Krycek answered, offering an instant remedy.

"That's what I like about you, Krycek," Mulder droned, his eyes growing heavy. "Always ready with a quick solution..."

The next thing Krycek heard was the shrill ring of the phone, and Mulder's soft cursing as he woke up and grabbed for the offending item.

"Sorry," Mulder whispered to the man who had just moaned and blinked up at him. "Hello? ......Yeah, you woke us....what? *What*?" Mulder jerked into a sitting position. "You're shitting me, right?

Krycek sat up, listening intently and watching his lover's face as he spoke to the person on the other end.

"How did....when? ...Holy shit...holy *shit*. Yeah. Yeah, okay, I'll be here. Call when you have more information."

What's going on?" Krycek asked as Mulder dropped the phone to the mattress and sat staring at nothing in particular. "Fox?" He placed a hand on the older man's back as he called his name, drawing his attention.

"That was Skinner. Marita turned up," Mulder announced, falling back against the pillows. Krycek followed, turning onto his side and resting his head in his hand.

"Too bad. She really annoys the shit out of me."

"You don't have to worry about that."

"Oh..." The younger man stared at Mulder's chest "...No?"

Mulder shook his head in disbelief. "This is freakin' unreal..." He turned to look at the younger man. "She was found dead in Kersh's apartment. In his bed, wearing nothing but a pair of semen-soaked underwear and more makeup than Ronald McDonald."

Krycek raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

"I can't believe this," Mulder sighed. "You uh...you said he was a freak. That you had proof?"

"Yeah."

"Had you even seen him bring women home?"

"No. Not for lack of trying. Sometimes he'd stop at a bar on his way home. Try and strike up conversations, but the women he picked on pretty much ignored him. He'd get mad and leave, and go home alone."

"You've never seen him with Marita?"

Krycek shook his head.

"He's in custody...was picked up in his office this morning."

"Did Skinner say what he's got to say for himself?"

"Keeps screaming that he was set up. And you know what? Maybe that isn't so far fetched."

Krycek sat silently, waiting for Mulder to continue his postulations.

"Our buddy couldn't get to you. And you know how itchy he gets if he doesn't bump at least one of us off a year. Kersh is all he's got left, and he's pissed off with him for not knowing what we were up to. Marita makes her way back from the carnival. *She's* ticked off with us, and her judgement is impaired. *He* figures a way to still get his yearly body count and screw Kersh over at the same time."

Krycek nodded slowly. "It's a possibility."

"I'd say it's a good possibility."

"So, now what?"

"You know there's no choice but to let it play out. Marita's dead, and Kersh is the goat. Nothing can change that. Even if he *didn't* do it, you know all evidence is gonna point to him."

"Well..." Krycek rolled onto his back and folded his arms across his chest. "He let it happen to himself." He shrugged. "Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy."

"What about Marita?"

"If she hadn't been such a spiteful, resentful vulture, it never would have happened."

And that's all he had to say about that.

Mulder drew a heavy breath. "You realize that that's it then. There are no more. Everyone who's left has rejected him. We've taken control of our own lives, and he's finally done."

"Yeah." Krycek turned back onto his side and draped an arm over his lover's waist. "And I say we don't waste any more time on him or his sick, demented little world. I don't want to be there anymore. I don't like it there." He snuggled into Mulder's side, dropping a flurry of tiny kisses over the older man's arm and chest. "I like it here."

"Me too. Mulder kissed the top of his lover's head. "Okay. Our new life starts right now."

"Works for me."

"What do you want to do today?"

"Besides fool around?"

Mulder chuckled softly. "Yeah, besides that."

"Go see Scully and the baby later?"

"'Course. Anything else?"

"Nothing much, just normal stuff, you know? Rent a movie. Dinner at home."

"Sounds good." Mulder smiled. "Should be interesting."

"How so?"

"I haven't really done normal before."

"Me either. I'm looking forward to it. Thank you for this, Fox. Thank you for making me look forward to my life."

Mulder hugged the younger man to him.

"That works both ways, Alex. I've got something to hold on to, now. And as long as you want me to hold on to you, I'll never let go."

"That's good," Krycek whispered. "Because I'm never letting go of *you*. Nothing can make me. Nothing or nobody. You're *mine*."

The passion with with which Krycek made his last statement surprised Mulder and made him curious.

"I am," he assured the younger man, kissing his head gently, then laughed. "Damn. God help anyone who..." He stopped cold, brow wrinkling, then he dismissed the thought.

"So...ready to get up?"

Krycek shifted, rubbing his erect cock against the ouside of Mulder's thigh.

"Ah I see you're *already* up."

"Have been for some time."

"Well, what d'you say we do something about that?"

"Thought you'd never ask."

Krycek pounced on the older man and kicked off the first full day of their new lives in explosive style. When the windows shook with the force of their completion some forty five minutes later, Mulder fell into an exhausted sleep, and Krycek lay curled in his arms, looking at the clock.

They'd probably have to get up soon if they were going to make it over to Scully's, but they had a little time yet. Hell, they had a lot of time. Their lives were their own, and there was nothing more in their way.

Krycek closed his eyes and smiled a contented, satisfied smile.

Not a damn thing more.

~Epilogue~

Agent Monica Reyes worked with Agent Doggett on the X-Files during Scully's maternity leave then left the Bureau to team up with The Stupendous Yappi, whose eye she had caught during one of their more unusual cases. Their syndicated television show, Thirty Minute Medium is rated number two in its one a.m. time slot on Thursdays right behind Ricki Lake.

Bill Scully shelled out so much money for the girl he'd injured in Virginia, that he hadn't enough left to pay the lawyer he needed to represent him in the divorce his wife insisted on in the wake of failed attempt after failed attempt at revenge against Mulder and Krycek. He now lives with his mother, sitting night after night in his underwear over a bowl of Lucky Charms, muttering to himself and watching old reruns of McHale's Navy.

Margaret Scully spends most of her time in the front pew of Saint Barnabas' Church, praying for her son's restored senses, her daughter's and grandson's health and happiness, and for the redemption of those misguided souls who continue to live together in mortal sin.

The Lone Gunmen became a household name when they published the story of a lifetime. Killer Queen: Trasvestite Murderer in the FBI, sold more copies in the month it was released than every other publication they'd put out in the whole seven years they'd been in operation.

Deputy Director Alvin Kersh, despite his vehement cries of innocence was tried and convicted on the charge of murder in the second degree. He now spends his days in the company of Gutter Snake, his new boyfriend. Makeup and wigs are now part of his everyday attire...

Newly appointed Deputy Director Walt Skinner and Agent John Doggett are still struggling with their new relationship, but with the help and good advice of a few friends they're making it work.

Agent Dana Scully returned to work ten weeks after the birth of her baby, and though she missed having him there in the office with her, Mulder remained a big part of her professional life, sticking his nose into every interesting case and irritating Doggett whenever he got the chance. All in all she's very happy.

Fox Mulder and Alex Krycek eventually moved out of Mulder's tiny apartment and bought a house together. They gardened and did laundry and sat for baby William while Scully was at work, and loved every domestic minute of it.

Mulder wrote his autobiography and tried to get it published, but the attempt failed not once, not twice, but every time; twenty-one in all. The responses from the publishers were always the same. The story would be insanely huge as a work of fiction, but there was no way in hell anyone was going to believe it as an autobiography.

Refusing to compromise his integrity for a buck, Mulder shelved the effort until one day he received a call from his first publisher of choice. With a little "gentle persuasion" from an outside influence, the publisher called and told Mulder that he'd reconsidered his decision, and that he would love to publish the book. It went to print four months later, and was a rousing success. Several months and tons of money after that, Mulder flew Scully, Skinner and the rest of their friends up to Vermont, where he and Krycek exchanged marriage vows in a simple but touching ceremony.

The two live happily in their home in the suburbs of Virginia, where Mulder is now working on a second book entitled, "So I Married A Triple Agent". For obvious reasons, he thinks that just this once he'll compromise his precious integrity and make it a fictional work.

END

  
Archived: June 02, 2001 


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